Forever, I Fear
by Darcy Drake
Summary: Hermione Granger is trying to pick up the pieces of her life after her best friend leaves her and run a school. Draco Malfoy is dealing with a divorce from his pureblood wife and taking care of his son. Will they each be the answer to the others prayer?
1. We Meet Again

_I do not own anything in the Harry Potter universe. Those all belong to The Beautiful JK Rowling. I'm just borrowing her characters to make a story of my own. I hope you all enjoy._

_Also, this story is mine, as are any new characters that I introduce. Please do not steal them._

_And now for our Feature Presentation!_

Hermione Granger walked along the streets of Diagon Alley with a strange little contraption in her hand, well it was strange to most around her. To those who had even a small understanding of muggle electronics, they would recognize the little black box as a cell phone. The frizzy haired woman speaking into it was waving her arms around like a lunatic, talking to _The Boy Who Lived_.

"Harry, I can't understand you. I'm walking through Diagon Alley, you know how the magic upsets the connection. Just owl me and I will answer you when I get to the school." A loud crackling sound could be heard by anyone within ten feet of Hermione Granger, and it was clear that the witch was highly frustrated. With a flick of her finger, she slide the small screen shut and stuffed it into the large bag hanging off her shoulder.

It was a cool day in Diagon Alley, which suited her very well. A gentle breeze was blowing through the cobbled streets and the shops were busy as usual. She waved to the red-haired man currently standing outside of the famous Weasley Wizard Wheezes. He waved back with what looked like a wing for an arm.

With a chuckle, Hermione continued walking, the clip of her heels bouncing off the street. Her shoulder was beginning to hurt from the bag that was currently weighing down her right side. It was Monday morning and she definitely wasn't ready for class. Her weekend had gone by far too quick, but she loved the school and she loved her kids.

During the week Hermione ran a wizarding school for young wizards. Many thought she would be unsuccessful, but being 1/3 of the Golden Trio, she found herself very successful in inciting the idea of early childhood learning to Wizards. In the mornings she would enjoy a short walk through Diagon Alley, teach during the day, and come home to a small, but comfortable two-bedroom flat at the heart of London.

Though she loved being a witch and using a wand, muggle London is where she felt like home. Hermione just couldn't completely let go of her muggle heritage. In her apartment she kept the perfect mixture of muggle devices and magical objects. For every magical appliance she owned, there was an equal muggle counterpart that could do the job just as good. Sometimes, doing it the old fashioned way is so much more rewarding.

As the school came into view, Hermione smiled and waved at a few of the parents who were exiting. Each one smiled and gave her happy looks as they passed. Though Monday mornings bring her down, Hermione's spirit can always be uplifted by the site of young witches and wizards ready to learn. Of course, not all of them were excited, but for the most part they enjoyed her teaching. When she first started Sunny Skies Wizarding School, the only person who believed that she could do this was her best friend, Harry Potter. Whenever she had admitted her dream to Ron Weasley, he had only scoffed and rolled his eyes. "You'll never get anywhere," he told her, trying to comfort her, "Parents want to teach their own children." Hermione could still remember the sting that his words had caused. From the very beginning, he hadn't believed she could do it.

As Hermione walked through the door, her mind wandered back to Ron. The final battle had taken a toll on everyone, but no one was surprised whenever she and Ron became a couple. For four years she had tried to make things work, but he never wanted to cooperate. Hermione wasn't strong willed enough to contradict him, so she just went along with everything. That was her mistake. Not a day goes by that she doesn't miss him, but that's what happens whenever your life gets torn out from under you. Hermione had believed, just as everyone else had, that they would end up together. The problem, he never supported Hermione, and she was finally fed up. All it took was one big fight and Ron had left. That was 6 months ago, but to Hermione the pain seemed like it was yesterday. She would never admit it though, not to anyone.

Now he was seeing a new girl, Rachael, and Hermione was stuck playing the supportive best friend. The tension between them had caused Harry to get caught up between the two. So, being the brave and loyal Gryffindor she was, Hermione played the good best friend and told him that she didn't want him torn between she and Ron. Unlike Hermione, Ron had made sure Harry played owl between them every chance he got.

Pulling herself away from self pity, Hermione instead focused on her class that day. As soon as she stepped over the threshold, she could feel the atmosphere shift. Instead of the quiet shoppers outside, the inside of the outer office was total chaos. There were little kids running here and there, while every parent was trying to sneak in a goodbye kiss or a see-you-later hug. Hermione scanned the room and found Ginny Weasley, wife of Harry Potter, and best girlfriend of Hermione, standing next to the front desk with her son Albus on her hip. Al, being the abnormal two year he was, was laying his head on Ginny's shoulder. Her other son, Teddy Lupin, was standing by her hip with his hands placed dramatically over his chest. With a grin, Hermione walked over to the three and patted Teddy on the headl. "Are you ready for Class Teddy?" she asked him, smiling down into his tear glazed eyes. Were Hermione not aware of how dramatic Teddy tended to be, she may be alarmed.

Teddy shook his head as his answer and began to cry. A tear crawled down his cheek as he stared up at his Aunt, "I asked Mommy for some ice-cream, but she wouldn't let me have any. It's right across the street." Teddy's eyes drifted to what he must think was heaven and Ginny made a face at Hermione. While she was just laughing, Ginny shook her head and rolled her eyes in a very Ginnyish way. "I told you, you were being ornery," she stated, signing her name on the clipboard in her hand and sat it it.

Teddy shook his head, tears still falling, and ran into the four to six year old playroom. Hermione couldn't help but laugh when she walked behind the counter to check the list of children who was signed in. Her flat mate and co-worker Jeanette walked up behind her and took the list out of her hands. With her tongue between her teach, Jean ran her finger down the list and grinned, "I hope you are ready for a full day, you've got almost 15 in your class. You've always got so many. Perhaps you should look into hiring a teaching assistant."

Hermione, having heard this conversation multiple times, shook her head and took the list back, "I handle them just fine, thank you very much."

Jean, understand this was a battle she couldn't win, just shrugged and wandered over to her classroom. A few cries of the one to three year olds could be heard. Although they didn't accept newborns, Jean was a miracle with small children and a blessing to Sunny Skies. Hermione met her while Jean was training to become an Auror. Hermione, along with Harry, had both agreed to teach a new generation of students everything they had learned themselves. Of course, like all the other students, Jean was fascinated with all things Harry Potter.

Ginny, who had been listening intently, cleared her throat. This caused Hermione to jerk back to reality. With a scowl, Ginny touched her friend's shoulder, "I think Jean makes a good point. You are over-working yourself 'mione. I think that you should try and take a break, maybe come and stay at Number 12. It's only been six months and your still not over R-"

Hermione silenced her with her index finger and shook her head. "I am completely over him," she lied. Sensing the fib, Ginny started to continue, but the sound of a bell ringing overhead made her jump. Her scowl deepened as she hitched Albus farther up her hip,"I still don't see what that absurd sound is for. The kids always get here on time; the parents make sure of that. We had bells in Hogwarts and we did just fine."

"It makes it easy to keep track of them," Hermione explained, "They all know when they hear the bell class is about to start."

Ginny just shrugged and adjusted Al again, "Whatever works I guess. Perhaps I should do something like that with Harry at home. He is always on the move, new cities new places."

Hermione just nodded her understanding, "That's what happens when you are married to an Auror."

After a few more words and swift hugs, Hermione shooed Ginny out the door. Turning around to hug her once again, Ginny whispered in Hermione's ear, "I really miss you around the house. I wish you would come over to dinner tonight. Ron will be there, but it's horrible being stuck as the only girl."

Hermione smiled a sad smile, knowing exactly how Ginny felt. With a nod, Hermione waved her off with her hand. "Alright, I'll be there," she said, turning to begin her day.

The morning passed by smoothly, mostly due to the fact that none of the children acted up. Even Teddy was sitting quietly, learning his ABCs on the laminated paper in front of him. It was such a productive day that Hermione found lunchtime came in no time at all.

Once the bell signaling break rang, Hermione pulled out her wand and with a quick spell, cleaned up the art supplies sitting out. Motioning for everyone to stand up, Hermione gave them all time to stand in a single file line. "Today Miss Christy made Peanut Butter Sandwiches for everyone," she said with a smile, sure that someone was going to complain. The day was going by too smoothly, something was bound to happen.

Teddy raised his hand, but Hermione already knew what he was worried about, "And for all those who don't want or can't have PB&J, we have chicken bites." There was a loud exclamation of "YAY" and the children started walking out the door.

Christy, or Miss Christy as the kids called her, was the seven to ten year old teacher, and normally didn't have very many students. When the children got to be around that age, parents wanted to teach them on their own. Therefore, Christy normally did a lot of office work on top of her classes. Today she was handling a new addition to Sunny Skies, a small boy Hermione had yet to meet. She had been interested in meeting the new boy, that is until she led the class to the small lunchroom sat up down the hall. Hermione caught a glimpse of a small blonde haired boy with familiar grey eyes.

He was staring at Hermione as she led the kids into the lunchroom. Glancing inside and spotting Jeanette, she instead started down the hallway towards this new addition. Before she could get a better look, the boy's father stepped out from around the corner and held out a handful of papers to Christy. "Well, if it isn't Granger," he stated. He sounded surprised, but Hermione figured it was probably just an act.

As she stared up at his face, his trademark smirk was currently pointed in her direction. Memories of years of torment and torture came to mind and Hermione stopped where she was. Plastering on a fake smile, she crossed her arms behind her back. "Good Afternoon Mr. Malfoy. I assume you are enrolling your son?"

He seemed to think her question was quite obvious, because the smirk stayed on his face. He nodded, staring her down with grey eyes that used to mock her, "Yes, I am." Then, looking down at his son, he nudged the shy little boy forward, "Go on."

The boy looked up at her and Hermione's heart broke. Unlike this morning, where she knew Teddy's tears had been fake, his eyes were filled with tears that were obviously real. Hermione could understand the terror of attending a new school for the first time, and she was very sympathetic to them. The little boy stepped forward a few inches and wiped his eyes, "M-m-my name is Eltanin."

Hermione raised her eyes to Malfoy, her lips pulling up into a smile. Leave it too Malfoy to name his son after the brightest star in Draco. His egotistical way never ceased to astound her. Looking down once again, she could tell that the name fit. Avoiding Malfoy's face, she smiled down at the terrified boy and sank to her knees. "Well Eltanin, How old are you?" she asked, holding out her hand for him to shake.

Instead of taking it though, Eltanin grinned and turned to hide his face in his father's pant leg. Hermione smiled and stood back up, still admiring the small boy. Malfoy leaned down and picked Eltanin up, holding him so that he faced Hermione, "She asked you a question." His words were scolding, but, as she looked back at Malfoy, he was smiling a genuine smile. It was very endearing to watch Malfoy with his son. Hermione watched as he wrapped his arms around the boy and held him tight. Eltanin buried his face into his father's neck and refused to speak.

Hermione compared Eltanin to the various kids in her class. She smiled at him and tapped him lightly on the shoulder. Eltanin, clearly surprised looked up. She could see Malfoy glaring at her but she didn't care. "I don't think that you are wearing diapers, so you must be much older. Although you aren't a big strong man like your father, so I'd have to say you were five years old."

Eltanin laughed and looked up, "No, I'm four." He held up four fingers and counted them off, "See, one. Two. Three. Four."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh, "Oh, I'm so sorry. You are four."

She could feel Malfoy's gaze on her, but he didn't seem angry anymore. She looked up at him, ready for some scathing remark about how she was acting like a child, but he was smiling at her. Not a smirk or a sneer, but a real smile. Hermione was taken aback by how much his eyes had softened. "He will not be starting today," he stated, "but I'll be sure to get Elt here first thing tomorrow morning." As a sort of peace offering, he held out his hand for her to shake. It took her a second to respond, but she reached out and grasped his hand. His smile, still something she would have to get used to, widened, "It was good seeing you again Granger."

Hermione almost did stumble at that. Never, in her wildest dreams, would she have imagined Malfoy to be the one offering a truce. Sure, it wasn't as though he were professing his love, but a friendship seemed like a possibility. Of course, Hermione told herself, she would be teaching his child. Therefore some level of civility was implied. They couldn't very well be bickering back and forth between the children, now could they? Hermione let go of his hand and nodded, "It was good seeing you again too. I'll see you tomorrow bright and early. Please don't worry about bringing any supplies or the like. I make sure to provide any materials that they may need."

Malfoy nodded and turned to leave, "I'll see you tomorrow morning." With that he walked into the outer office and away from Hermione. She waited until she heard the door shut before leaning against a wall. Could it be true? Was she going to teach the son of her former enemy? Hermione had to pinch herself to be sure that had really happened. Sometimes dreams tend to take a crazy turn. When pain shot through her arm though, she knew it was true. Malfoy had just enrolled his son into a school taught by someone he once called a 'mudblood'.

Draco Malfoy exited through the front door of Sunny Skies Wizarding School and had to take a deep breath to steady himself. He was aware that Granger ran the school, but he hadn't expected her to be so dedicated to her work. The way she handled Eltanin showed her love of children and how well she could handle them. His fears of leaving his son under someone else's care were eliminated by the scene he had just witnessed.

His thoughts drifted back to their school days. As hard as he tried to match the Granger from then to the Granger he had just met, it was impossible. She just wasn't the same girl he had made fun of all those years ago. _I suppose the war just changed us all,_ he thought sourly. The war hurt so many people, weakened so many families, but it made her even stronger. His mind couldn't help but think of her face when she had been snatched, sitting on the floor of his very own sitting room. Granger had looked up to him for help, pleaded with her eyes.

Why hadn't he helped her?

"Daddy, are you listening to me?" His son's voice broke through the fog that was currently his brain, bringing him back to the present. Draco nodded his head and kissed his son's forehead, "Yes, just like I always do."

"Dad, that means you weren't listening to me," The sigh Elt gave was full of exasperation, which only made Draco laugh. The boy scowled and crossed his arms, "We have two ears to listen Daddy, and you are not using either one."

With a shake of his head, Draco headed into Flourish and Blotts, "You truly are wise beyond your years."

Elt's brow furrowed in confusion, "How can I be wise beyond my year? I'm only," he counted on his fingers once again, "Four."

Draco was walking past a display of new books. One caught his eye, so he picked it up and stared at the cover. The picture staring back was all too familiar. Albus Dumbledore, greatest headmaster of Hogwarts, stared back at Draco. The blue eyes seemed to pierce through him once again, just as they had when he was younger. His heart clutched as he thought about the day he had told Dumbledore of the Dark Lord's plan, and had received nothing but mercy and forgiveness in return.

_Dumbledore looked at Draco over his half-moon spectacles as the young man explained his predicament. The boy looked terribly frightened and Dumbledore wanted nothing more than to make everything better for him. As he finished his story, the young man stared up at his headmaster with pleading eyes. "Professor," he said, "I really didn't want to accept this assignment. I'm asking you to understand that I am putting myself and my family in danger to tell you this. If he ever finds out, I don't know what he will do. I just- I don't want to kill you, sir." _

_The old man stared at the Slytherin before him, knowing what he said was true. Much like Harry, Draco Malfoy was forced into a life that he didn't ask for, nor did he want. He was only doing what he could to stay alive and keep the people he loved alive. So, with a heavy heart, Dumbledore nodded, "Mr. Malfoy, I assure you that, were you to kill me, I would hold no grudge. I believe you are telling the truth when you say that you did not wish the mark upon you." _

_Draco's hand instinctively moved to his forearm. His eyes were downcast as though he were ashamed. Instead of denying his claim, Draco instead shook his head, "Sir, with all due respect, you are utterly insane."_

_The old man chuckled and rose to accompany Mr. Malfoy to the door. "You are free to go, and remember. If you must go through with this, please don't be afraid to protect yourself," the old man's eyes were sad as he regarded his once brilliant student, "Do what you believe is right and always look after your family. _

_With that, the boy was whisked from the office and sent back to class, contemplating some way to escape the inevitable._

A chill went down Draco's spin as he realized what could have happened that night on the tower. Thank Merlin that he had not been forced to become a murderer. Before that moment, he had truly doubted whether or not there was any good still left in him. Thanks to that old man, Draco had still had a choice. Thanks to Dumbledore, not only did he make a decision, but Draco made the right one. Eltanin tapped him on the shoulder, trying to pull his attention back from his thoughts. "Hey Daddy?" he asked.

Draco raised his eyebrows at his son and walked to the front desk and paid for _Dumbledore's Army_. Eltanin sighed as Draco picked up his purchase and walked back into the sun. Eltanin still hadn't said anything, so Draco put him down so that he could walk beside him. A scowl creeped onto Elt's lips as they walked.

"Hey Daddy?" Eltanin repeated, staring up at his father. Draco looked down and smiled. "Can we go for ice-cream? I've been really good today."

A laugh bubbled through Draco's chest, fatherly adoration radiating from deep inside. With a small shrug, Draco picked his son back up, "I suppose."

_Rewritten, hopefully now a little better than before._

_I hope you all enjoyed_

_Always remember to love,_

_Until We Meet Again,_

_Ms. Darcy_


	2. Try and Break Away

_I do not own anything in the Harry Potter universe. Those all belong to The Beautiful JK Rowling. I'm just borrowing her characters to make a story of my own. I hope you all enjoy._

_Also, this story is mine, as are any new characters that I introduce. Please do not steal them._

_And back to the show…

* * *

  
_

Chapter 2

Try and Break Away

_Draco sat with his back against the fireplace, trying to figure out a way of escape. Bellatrix was already scouring the Manor to find evidence of their betrayal. He had to get his family out of this mess, at least get his mother out. She had been forced into the situation, trying to keep her son alive. Draco had to keep her alive. "What is this?" he heard his mother say. Draco turned to the entryway to see the dreaded werewolf with a horrid smile on his face. It made Draco's stomach turn to see him so happy._

"_We're here to see He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!"_

_His mother answered Greyback, "Who are you?" Greyback seemed as though he was insulted that Narcissa didn't know who he was. Draco knew exactly who he was. _

_Draco wasn't focused on Greyback though. Through the door way he could distinctly see a head of brown bushy hair. _It's not possible_ he thought to himself. _Could they have really caught the Golden Trio?_ Narcissa lead Greyback and the prisoners into the drawing room, in front of Draco. He clearly recognized Weasel and Granger. He looked at the swollen kid and shook his head. Was that really Potter? This could be his chance for his family to escape. If they turned them in, the Malfoy's would be welcome in the circle once more. "Draco, come here."_

_Draco walked forward to stand next to his mother. His eyes traveled down the line of prisoners and they locked on the brown-haired girl. Her eyes were pleading with him, trying to find some good. Could she see how reluctant he was to confirm his suspicions? Draco realized that if this was Potter, his family would receive no credit. They would merely be put to death for questioning if it was him or not. Draco tore his eyes away from the others and looked back at Potter. His face was distorted, but it was definitely him._

"_Well, boy?" The voice of the werewolf interrupted his thoughts. Draco looked at the man standing near him and felt a shiver go up his spine. He didn't want to help the freak anymore than Greyback wanted to help him. His father came up behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder. It took everything in him not to shy away from the hand. Shaking his hand, a sigh escaped his lips. "I can't – I can't be sure."_

_Greyback inched forward towards the father and son, as Draco backed into his father. Greyback's lip curled back from his teeth, looking deathly. Lucius came to stand between his son and the danger, "But look at him carefully, look! Come Closer!" _

_Draco's father's hand left from his son, sitting at his side. Though they have been outcasted, Lucius still stood tall. "Draco, if we are the ones who hand Potter over to the Dark Lord, everything will be forgiv-"_

The dream began to chance suddenly, as though cutting itself short.

_Draco now stood next to a fireplace, watching as the muggle-born witch lay on the floor in front of him. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as he watched the complete look of joy cross her face. It was sick, the way she was enjoying the torture. It merely made Draco feel sick to his stomach. He could taste bile in the back of his throat as he waited. He could vaguely here someone hollering Hermione's name, but he couldn't quite understand who it was. _

_After the first bout of screaming was over, she once again looked him in the eye. He watched as her expression changed. She noticed, she knew how he was feeling. He was about to step in, stop what Bellatrix was doing, but a jet of light hit her once again. _

"No!"

Draco sat up quickly, his body drenched in sweat. He looked around him, half expecting his aunt to jump out and say Boo! Well perhaps that's not exactly what he was expecting, but it worked. He didn't move from that spot for a few moments, waiting for his heart to slow. He hadn't had that nightmare for a long time. "Damn Granger, this is her fault."

"Daddy?" A small voice said from the doorway. Draco looked down, seeing Eltanin illuminated by the hall light. The little boy's teddy bear was hanging limply from his right hand, tears streaming down his face. Draco felt his heart break as he watched the little boy. "I'm right here Elt, what's wrong?"

The little boy took a deep breath, a sob threatening to escape his lips. "I heard you, you sounded sad. I don't want you to be sad Daddy." The little boy stumbled into the room, crawling up into his father's bed. "Are _you_ ok daddy?"

Draco smiled down at the little boy and bundled him in his arms, kissing the top of his blond little head. "Daddy is just fine. I was just having a nightmare."

"Do you want me to stay Daddy? You always stay with me when I have a bad dream. It makes me feel better." The Elt wrapped his arms around Draco's neck and tried to give him a big hug. A smile came to Draco's lips as he sat there in the arms of the most important thing in the word to him. He pulled the boy closer and laid his cheek on his sons head, taking in his scent. How Draco got lucky enough to have such wonderful son, he would never know. Visions of his father popped into his mind, and he hugged the boy even closer. "I would love if you stayed with me. I bet I'll feel much better."

A large smile came to Elt's face as he laid down next to Draco. "Ok Daddy, night night. We have to get up early. I have school with Ms. Hermione tomorrow."

_Oh yeah. I have to see Granger tomorrow, great._

The rest of the night, Draco slept peacefully, his hand resting on his son's back. It wasn't until a sliver of sunlight crossed over his eyes that he realized it was morning. Eltanin was sitting on the edge of the mattress, watching his father sleep. Draco grinned up at him. Elt laughed and shook his head, "You make funny faces when you sleep."

With a laugh, Draco grabbed his son and started tickling him, laughing along with his son. "So, funny faces huh?"

"Dad! I was kidding, you don't….you don't!"

"Who is the best Dad in the world?"

"You are Daddy! You are!"

Draco released his son and stood up. "That's right I am."

Eltanin laughed and stood up like his father. His eyes brightened with understanding. Draco was confused for a moment, but his question was soon answered. "I get to go to school today," was all Elt said before sprinting out the door to his room. The sound of footsteps could be heard down the hallway and into the room next to his. Draco walked over to his closet and pulled out a shirt and slacks to wear. Of course, they were black. Before he made his way to the hall bathroom, Draco glanced into his son's room. Elt was looking at himself in the mirror, holding two different shirts up. Draco chuckled, leaning against the doorframe, "I thought you didn't want to go to school. Yesterday you said that school was dumb."

Elt turned around and faced his father, an exaggerated look on his face, "Dad... that was yesterday. It was before I saw Ms. Hermione. She is amazing!" Elt's face changed to a dreamy look, "I can't wait to be in her class."

Draco rolled his eyes, holding back his retort. It wouldn't be right to talk badly about Eltanin's new teacher. Instead, he shrugged. "I'm going to jump in the shower. See if Willow will make you something for breakfast."

At the mention of her name, a tiny little house-elf stumbled into the room. She was moving so quickly that she tripped over her own feet and Draco was forced to catch her before she face-planted. "Oh…Willow is sorry Master Malfoy. She was just very excited."

Elt took the liberty of answering for Draco, "That's ok Willow. What shirt should I wear? I want to stand out for Ms. Hermione." On that note, Draco left his son with Willow.

As he walked into the bathroom, Draco couldn't help but shake his head. _That boy is only 4 years old. He should think girls are gross._ This was not something a father wanted to deal with. So that's exactly what he did, he didn't deal with it. Instead, he looked around his small bathroom, taking in his surroundings. If Granger were to see where he lived now, she would never believe it. He had found a simple cottage had been enough a appease him. Draco had spent his entire life in the large Malfoy Manor, so the large and over eccentric wasn't necessary. He quite enjoyed the simple life.

When the shower started, Draco pulled off his clothes and stepped underneath the steaming water. He used the water to take out the kinks in his neck and back, cherishing the feeling of his troubles washing down the drain. It felt amazing, being in the security of his bathroom, but it couldn't last forever. Thoughts of his nightmare drifted back into the corners of his mind. _Granger_ he mentally growled. He wasn't sure which was more annoying, the fact that his son was obviously smitten with her, or that she was bringing back memories that he had long ago buried.

A shrill voice echoed through his apartment, "Draco, I'm here for Eltanin." With a sigh, Draco turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist and exiting the bathroom. He didn't even spare himself a second glance, there was no need. Daphne wouldn't care what he looked like, and if she did, he didn't. "Hello Daphne."

Daphne's eyes widened as he walked into the kitchen, running her eyes up and down his body. He rolled his eyes, remembering just how physical she was. "It's rude to stare."

Daphne huffed, crossing her arms, "Well it's rude to around your house naked in front of your ex-wife."

Draco smirked, knowing how to push her buttons. "It's my house. Also, until this afternoon, you are still my wife." He picked his wand up from the counter, conjuring a glass of juice. Willow also knew just where to put his things, she truly was a blessing. After a long drink, Draco looked back at his soon to be ex-wife. "Why are you here exactly?"

"For Elt of course." Daphne gave him a 'duh' look. Draco merely shook his head, going to open the door. Daphne's eyes filled with tears that Draco knew were fake. Thank God Eltanin hadn't walked in. He was always a sucker for her tears.

With a sweep of his hand, Draco motioned for the woman in front of him to leave. "When you decided to divorce me, you lost your rights to our child. I am going in today to decide on the custody issue, but until then, you are not to see my son." Daphne's eyes flashed in anger. If looks could kill, Draco would not be standing with his trademark smirk upon his lips. "Any questions?" he asked, opening the door wider.

Daphne started to stomp from the house, stopping in front of Draco to give him the finger. He laughed, shaking his head, "I've been down that road. Although I may have Elt, I will certainly never tread those murky waters again."

The gasp that erupted from Daphne's lips fueled him further. She looked hurt, but only for a split second. Having left Hogwarts as a Slytherin, she was just as practiced as he was at hiding feelings. With a sharp smack, her hand landed on the side of Draco's face. Anger coursed through his body, paralyzing him for a moment. For a split second, he considered grabbing her, making sure she never touched him again, but Granger's face flashed before his eyes and he sighed. From the day in that drawing room, he refused to strike a woman. "Please, leave."

Daphne did just that and Draco shut the door, glancing at the wizarding clock his father gave him. He was late, which meant Elt would be late for his first day at school. As though on cue, Eltanin emerged from his room, fully dressed. "Dad, I'm late. We have to go. I'm going to get into trouble."

"Ms. Hermione wouldn't do that," Draco assured him, but hurried none the less.

In no time flat, Draco had dressed, freshened up, and grabbed his briefcase. He was meeting with a lawyer today, regarding the issues with his son. Speaking of his son, Elt was standing on the counter. Draco dropped his briefcase, running over to his son and pulling him off. Draco's heart was speeding from the rush, fear making him scold his son. "You know better. Do not climb on the counters. If you want something, ask Willow or me. We will get it for you."

Elt crossed his arms, much like his mother just had, "I just wanted to be a big boy. I wanted to get my own cookie." Draco sighed, grabbing a small cookie and halving it with his son. "That's all you get." Elt nodded, pleased with himself. With that, Draco picked up his things and Eltanin, apparating to Diagon Alley.

As soon as he landed in front of Sunny Skies, Elt was fighting to get down. "I'm late! I'm late!" Draco allowed him down and followed him inside. The woman from yesterday, Christy, was sitting at the desk. "tsk tsk, Late on the first day, Mr. Malfoy, Hermione won't be happy about that." Draco watched as Elt ran into his classroom, not even waving goodbye. Draco watched him and sighed, signing Eltanin in. "I'm sorry, I'll try and be on time from now on." Once done signing his name, Draco looked up at Christy and smiled. He was surprised to see Granger standing right behind her. He nodded to her and she smiled, "Hello. I was just making sure you signed him in and everything was set. I noticed how reluctant he was yesterday. Will he be alright?" Draco looked past her to Elt, who was already making friends with a boy who looked about the same age. Draco nodded, "He should be fine."

Hermione nodded with him, pulling something out of her pocket. In her hand she held what looked like one of those plastic muggle cards. Draco took it examining it in his hand. "It's our way of contacting you quickly if there is any emergency. We will only use this if the need arises. Any small misdemeanor or problem will be owled to you. If an emergency does arise, the card will burn in your pocket." Granger was looking at Christy with a question in her eyes. The other girl nodded and turned back to Draco. "Yes, that will be it. I believe you are free to go, and please remember, your son is in safe and capable hands." Draco wanted so badly to say something, but bit his tongue. Infuriating your child's teacher on their first day was not nice. So with a nod and a smirk, he left the two women to their business. Little did he know, the day was about to take an interesting turn.

* * *

Hermione watched as Malfoy walked out of her school, as arrogant as ever. _He hasn't changed much_ she thought to herself. She released her tongue from her teeth, knowing it was safe to speak, and tasted blood. "Well that's just great," she said to herself, heading back to her classroom. The minute she walked in, she had to pull her wand out. They were all in total chaos. It looked like the thirty seconds she had left them on their own had been a mistake. The only child who was behaving happened to be the very child who was late. With a smile, she walked past him and to the front of the class. As she raised five fingers, the students began to settle down and make their way back to their seats. Hermione noticed how the art supplies were scattered all along the back wall and there was a soft blanket of feathers over half the class. Hermione sighed, cleaning everything up with a flick of her wand. "Well, I suppose we won't have art today, seeing as _most_ of you have used up our art supply already. Now class, I have a new student today. I want you all to welcome Eltanin to the class."

The class echoed her words, "Hi Eltanin."

The little boys face grew bright red as he looked around at his new classmates. Teddy was sitting next to him, trying to get his attention. _Once again Teddy finds a way to disrupt my class._ Instead of punishing Teddy for trying to make a friend, she motioned for Eltanin to come to the front of the class. His face turned an even darker shade of red as he trudged up to the front. Hermione, familiar with shyness, bent down and looked him in the eye. "How about you tell us a little about yourself?" she asked, allowing him to take the floor.

Elt looked at her with fearful eyes. Hermione smiled and beckoned him forward. The little boy looked at his classmates and crossed his arms, kicking the carpet. "My daddy calls me Elt, because it's easier to say," he started, looking down at his feet. "I have a friend named Willow and she helps me around the house. She helped me pick out this shirt." Elt pointed to his shirt and looked around at everyone, hoping they would be as excited as he was. Hermione merely smiled, watching this boy come out of his shell before her eyes. Elt looked around the room, clearly trying to think of what to say next. He eventually decided on something, because he went into a rant then, "My mother came over this morning and my daddy wasn't happy. They were talking about a word called … divorce. My daddy told her," Elt didn't get to finish his sentence because Hermione was quicker.

"Very good Elt, perhaps we'll finish the story later. Now we must all pull out our Alphabet tablets and begin saying our letters. Please, recite them with me, A … B…. C" and the class repeated her until they made it to Z. They were all getting into their studying, which was why Hermione decided writing may be fun. "Alright, today we are going to learn how to draw these letters. Most of the time this is called writing, but you all already knew that." The students all laughed, including Eltanin. Hermione couldn't help but smile at how much he was already enjoying himself.

The day past on without anything else interesting happening, that is until lunchtime. The children were each at their desks, drawing with colored pencils on paper that was bewitched to allow the pictures to move while they were drawing, and Hermione walked around watching them. One girl, Bethany, was drawing a sunset. She was enjoying drawing the colors cascading out from where a yellow ball set on a drawn horizon. Hermione made her way around to Teddy and Elt, who were busy drawing with their heads together. Teddy had yet to begin his drawing, and Hermione marveled at how much he looked like Remus, his real father. She didn't dare allow herself to dwell to long on the subject though, because her eyes still filled with tears when she thought of them.

Rather than focus on Teddy, Hermione looked down at Elt's drawing. He was drawing what looked like an old dinosaur. This dinosaur was obviously herbivore, as he was taking leaves off a nearby tree and chewing on them. "That's very good Elt, I'm very impressed." Eltanin smiled in delight, holding up his picture. He was about to say something to Hermione, but was interrupted by Christy at the door with a frightened look on her face. "Hermione, we have to get the kids out of here!"

Hermione didn't even stop to think once. She put her want and picked up the closest kid, which happened to be Eltanin. Teddy grabbed on to the bottom of her robes, looking scared, "Aunt Hermione, what's wrong."

Hermione looked down at him, showing it was okay, "We just have to go outside." She turned to the rest of the children, trying to get them to stand. "Come children. It's such a nice day outside, let's go and see." All the children rose, seeming convinced that there was no danger. "Christy, take them outside. Wait until I get back outside to alert parents. Just take them across the street. I'm sure Patty wouldn't mind feeding them ice-cream." Hermione tried to stay calm, even as she saw the panic in Christy's eyes. Hermione understood and passed Elt to her. "GO!"

The children filed out, and Hermione saw why they had to leave. At the end of the hallway, in the nursery, there was smoke billowing out of the doorway. Hermione made sure to block this from sight so that the kids wouldn't panic, even though she felt like panicking herself. Once in the clear, she grabbed her want and headed into the nursery. Luckily, Jean had already gotten all of the children out, Hermione said a quick spell to confirm that. What Hermione didn't expect was for Jean to be dueling one on one with a masked figure. "What the hell!" she said, pointing her want at the man, "Stupefy," she yelled. The man was quick, deflecting the spell and making it hit Jean. What happened next, Hermione will never forget. The man pointed his want at her, and she heard the distinct words, "Avada Kedavra." Without thinking, she dived to the side, hoping the spell would miss her. Luckily it did, and she was able to yell out the first spell that came to mind. It was Ginny's famous Bat-Bogey Hex. The man screamed as his mask fell and bat wings sprouted from his face. Hermione rushed forward and seized him, conjuring up ropes and wrapping them around him. Jean was next to her then, using a levitating spell to lift him to safety.

Hermione's heart was racing as she looked around the room for anymore. Secure the room, then evacuate. Luckily, no one else was in the room. Unfortunately, the fire was growing out of control. "Quick, we have to get out of here." She led the way, Jean following close behind with the man floating behind her. The entire encounter had only taken a minute, but Hermione felt like she had been at it for hours.

Once outside, she looked around for Christy and the students. A few mothers were with the children, trying to keep them calm. Hermione felt a wave of gratitude towards these women. She wasn't able to focus on this fact long though, because her Auror instinct kicked in and she examined the crowd. There were a few passersby, but none looked as though they were troublemakers. Hermione allowed her nerves to relax as she took in the damage. It only took one look to realize her dream was gone. The school that she had going was on fire, flames licking through the roof. A few wizards were trying to put it out, but Hermione knew it was no use. After a few moments these men must have come to the same conclusion, because they stopped trying to stop the fire and focused on putting barriers up before the fire could spread to other buildings.

It was now time to turn to what was required of her. She told Christy to summon the parents and began to take a head count. Poor Elt, he was really enjoying Sunny Skies too. It was all quite sad.

In the end, Hermione came to the conclusion that everyone was present and accounted for. It was at this moment that parents decided to show up.

Some were angry, and they had words to exchange with Hermione before they picked up their children and left. They spoke of irresponsibility and carelessness. Hermione wanted to point out that it wasn't her fault, someone had attacked the school, but Jeanette had already hauled the guy off to the Ministry of Magic. Harry was going to have a long day.

Others were grateful at Hermione's quick thinking skills and ability to keep calm. They noticed that their children were not frightened at all, merely curious. For those who knew Hermione had complete Auror school before she started her own school, they were in her debt. They told her how wonderful she was and that, if she were to reopen Sunny Skies, they would be the first to come back.

By the end, Hermione was numb from the emotional draining that she had taken. She had finally been left with only Elt and Teddy. Elt sat in her lap and ate his ice-cream quietly, while Teddy had to make a big deal out of the mess he had made on his shirt. Hermione hushed him and he fell silent, pouting at the table. Hermione grinned at him then turned to look for Harry. She had told Christy to alert Harry of what had happened and was expecting him at any moment. What she didn't expect was for Harry to show up accompanied by Malfoy. When he got a look at his son, Malfoy's face completely relaxed and he seemed put to ease. Harry, on the other hand, was tense. "Hermione, thank god you're alright." Eltanin jumped down and ran into his father's arms as Harry dragged Hermione into his. "I should have warned you, I had a feeling they would attack today. I just never thought it would be at your school."

Hermione shook her head, confused, "What do you mean?"

Harry gave her a bewildered look, "You didn't know? Ron didn't-" but he stopped at the look on Hermione's face. It was clear that Ron had 'forgotten' to mention that someone would be attacking her school today. "No Harry, he didn't."

Harry looked taken aback, "Well if Kingsley or I would have known, we would have informed you. Come on, let's go back to the ministry. I'll explain everything there."

Hermione allowed herself to be ushered by Harry, who was carrying Teddy on his back, towards the Leaky Cauldron. She glanced back at her once beautiful school, which was no longer standing. Malfoy was following close behind them, hugging his son to his chest. He was watching Hermione with apologetic eyes. She got the message, he was sorry for what had happened to her. In this moment, it clicked. Whoever that man was, he wasn't after Hermione, or any of the Golden Trio. He had been after Eltanin. This masked killer had merely ended up in the wrong room by accident. "Oh Harry," was all she was able to say. She spared a glance back at Malfoy and Elt, asleep in his arms.

This little boy was in trouble, and she had to find out why.

* * *

_I hope you all enjoyed that chapter. I very much enjoyed writing it. If it was a little too quick going into the action, I'm sorry. I promise though, this is in no way a climax to the story. I was planning for this story to be novel length. I'm so excited too! This chapter is almost twice as long as my first one. _

_I'll write more author's notes on my website if you are interested, just check it out. _

_In response to Reviewers:_

_Hannah: I'm glad you couldn't wait, neither could I. I've been trying to put my thoughts onto my computer all day. I was so excited to get this chapter out!_

_Joseph: Aww .. I know right! My goal was to make him the most likable character in the book, so I just tried to channel my inner cute child. That didn't work, so I wrote Eltanin, he's so much better than my inner child._

_Wooster: I agree, I wasn't fond of Scorpius either. To answer your question though, I was planning on using the children from the Epilogue. It was completely my fault, I got James and Albus' ages mixed. I was thinking Albus was older, which I was wrong. So I'm just going to improvise, since this story is only 4 years after the end of the war, James isn't born yet. Albus is the older child of Ginny and James. I had to put Teddy in too, since I could totally see Remus being the most rambunctious kid. He's just so smart. _

Ally: I completely agree, tis my favorite too.

Thank you guys for reviewing, you have no idea how absolutely Giddy I was to find reviews! It just made me want to write more and more!

Until We meet Again,

Ms. Darcy


	3. For the Night

_I do not own anything in the Harry Potter universe. Those all belong to The Beautiful JK Rowling. I'm just borrowing her characters to make a story of my own. I hope you all enjoy._

_Also, this story is mine, as are any new characters that I introduce. Please do not steal them._

_A Now Back to our Presentation…

* * *

_

Chapter 3

For the Night

The Auror offices were bustling with people as Harry led the group to his office. Teddy had already gotten off his father's back and was walking along beside him, staring at the globs of people running about. Hermione watched him look up at Harry with frightened eyes, "Daddy, why are we here?"

Harry's eyes were kind as he looked down at his son, "Mum's here waiting for you. Daddy has to talk with Auntie 'mione." At this, Teddy nodded, putting on a brave face. Hermione felt her heart sink. Teddy shouldn't have to be scared like this. She looked down at the boy, who was standing between her and Harry, and smiled, "Hey there, how are you holding up?"

"I'm strong, just like my Daddy!"

Hermione chuckled, "Yes you are."

As they reached the end of the hallway, Hermione looked back at Malfoy. Eltanin was curled up against his father's side, his face buried in Malfoy's neck. Once again, Hermione's heart broke. These boys should never have been put through something as horrible as that. Before she could say anything to Malfoy, he turned his eyes on her and Hermione was surprised. The arrogant Malfoy she had seen the day before was no longer there. This Malfoy looked vulnerable, possibly even scared. His arms were around his son, holding on tightly. Hermione had a feeling if she did re-open the school, Elt wouldn't be a part of it.

"Harry! Teddy!" Hermione's head whipped around as she heard her best friends voice float over the rest. Ginny ran up to them, Albus in the arms of Kingsley Shacklebolt. When her arms went around Harry, Teddy was jumping up, trying to get his mother's attention. "Mummy, I want a hug! I want a hu-" His words were caught up by Ginny gathering him up into her arms and kissing his nose, "Oh Teddy, I love you." Hermione had to smile because they were just so cute. Ginny hugged Teddy a moment longer before looking at Hermione. Her eyes were filled with tears, "Oh Hermione. Thank you." Ginny enveloped Hermione into a hug that would crush most people, "If you hadn't been there. I'm so sorry about your school. You'll find him, I know you will."

Harry stopped her from talking though, "Ginny, I need to talk to Hermione."

Ginny nodded against Hermione's shoulder, letting her go. "Alright," Ginny wiped her eyes and looked over at Malfoy, "If you like I can watch your son for a few moments." Elt looked at her wide-eyed and gripped his dad, shaking his head. The knot in Hermione's stomach tightened a bit more as she watched Elt's terrified face. It was clear that he wasn't going to let go of his father. Harry shook his head at Malfoy, motioning to Ginny. "I'm sorry, but we need to talk and it wouldn't be right having your son with us."

Malfoy looked at his son, preparing to hand Elt to Ginny, when Hermione interrupted them, "It's okay if Elt stays with Malfoy."

The look Harry gave her could only be described as extreme irritation. "You can't be suggesting we allow this boy to hear what has been going on."

Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head, "Of course not Harry. I'm not that cruel. I was planning on using a silencing charm so that he couldn't hear us." She put her right hand on her hip, "This really isn't the time to be splitting up a parent and his child." Harry looked like he wanted to argue, but there wasn't much he could say past this point. Once Hermione made up her mind, there was no stopping her. Rather than wasting time trying to talk Malfoy into getting rid of his son, Harry gave in and led the group into his office. Ginny nodded to him once and took Albus from Kingsley, taking them to the office's waiting room.

Inside of Harry's office, everyone looked on edge. Eltanin seemed to pick up on everyone's mood and turned to look his father in the face, "Daddy, why is everyone upset? Are they mad at me?"

Before Malfoy had a chance to answer, Hermione swept in and knelt down next to Elt, "No honey, no one is angry with you. We are just trying to find out what happened to the school." Elt nodded, accepting that answer, and put his head back in Malfoy's shoulder. Malfoy looked Hermione in the eye, looking quite sincere, and muttered, "Thanks."

Hermione was taken aback at the look in Malfoy's eyes. After a moment though, it was gone. He was the same Malfoy, just as cold and heartless as ever. The change of his attitude was making Hermione's head hurt. So instead, she focused on the little blond boy who was hiding his face. "Elt," she said quietly, "I'm going to do a little spell, alright?" Elt peeked at her from the neck of his father and nodded his head. Hermione smiled, rubbing his back. "I'm going to need you to sit up, only for a minute." Elt, who seemed to understand her urgency, raised his head and sat up straight. Hermione nodded, pulling out her wand. "Don't be scared, ok. You're not going to be able to hear anything we are saying, but it's just the spell. I'll lift it as soon as I can." Elt nodded once again, as though preparing himself for the unexpected.

Hermione drew a circle around Elt and said, "Silens Orbis."

The effect was immediate. Eltanin looked around at everyone, trying to hear them. "Can you hear me?" Hermione asked. The little boy looked up at her and grinned, laughing. As he laughed, Hermione smiled. "I don't know what you said, Ms. Hermione, but I can't hear you." The grin on his face eased the knot that was threatening to burst her stomach.

Now that Eltanin was taken care of, Harry became very official and stood next to Kingsley, who was seated at Harry's desk. "Alright, now we must get down to business. There have been rumors going around about how someone has been threatening your family, Malfoy." The blond tensed in his seat, gazing at Harry. Instead of allowing Malfoy to speak, Harry kept going with his story, "Kingsley, Ron, and I have been watching out for anything regarding your son. A few days ago, we got a message," he paused, trying to find the words, "an anonymous tip that gave us the impression that someone was going after your son." Harry motioned towards Eltanin with his hand. The little boy had fallen asleep on his father's lap. Malfoy was rocking side to side lightly, his hand patting his son's leg. Though he was holding onto his son, his eyes were intent on Harry. His eyes showed confusion, as well as fear.

Harry continued, shaking his head, "I told Ron to warn you Hermione. That's what I was trying to tell you on the phone yesterday, I wanted you to speak with Ron." Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes, her best friend, the match-maker. Leave it to Harry to try and bring his two best friends together by using his work. Hermione was tired of telling everyone she was over Ron. If everyone would just stop asking then maybe she would be able to get over Ron. Anytime she talked to her friends, they felt the need to bring up her failed relationship.

While Hermione sat contemplating, Malfoy spoke up, "So, you're saying they aren't after my parents, or even me. They are after my son?" As though instinctively, his hold on Eltanin grew tighter, "What would they want with him?"

"He's the heir to the Malfoy family fortune. You work for your fathers company, correct?" Harry didn't want Malfoy to feel as though they were controlling his life. Hermione watched the silent exchange between the two. She could still see how much Harry still despised Malfoy, but there was also a new found respect for him. Harry knew what it felt like to feel responsible for another vulnerable human life. Even though he couldn't stand Malfoy, Eltanin didn't deserve what was being thrown at him. He was only four years old, the same age as little Teddy.

It hit home with Harry. "We'll do everything we can Malfoy. I'll personally make sure I have the best aurors on call to protect you if need be. I have also decided to put an auror with you and your son at all times. They will trade shifts, keep watch for anything suspicious. Of course, I will leave that decision up to you."

Malfoy shook his head, "No, no, that will be fine. I'm fine with that."

Harry nodded, looking at Hermione, "That's why I wanted you to be here. I'm going to assign you to the shift with the most hours. You and Ron are the two people I trust the most. Thank God you went through Auror training."

Hermione chuckled, "I'm even still certified. I made sure to keep up with my license, in case something like this ever happened."

Harry grinned and shook his head, "I can always count on you."

Hermione answered back, "And don't you forget it."

Malfoy made a choking noise at the two, then diverted his eyes, "Will you please save any mushy stuff for when I leave the office. I would much prefer to keep my lunch."

Kingsley merely shook his head. "Hermione, we've assigned you to 10 hours a day. I understand it's a lot, but seeing as you've already kept the child safe, we can trust you." Hermione nodded, accepting the job. Since her school was no longer intact, she had a lot of free-time on her hands. She was wondering about one thing though, and Kingsley seemed to catch her question also. "I understand that there will be some night watches involved. I have given you some time where you will be off duty, which I was hoping you would devote to sleep, but you are not required to stay awake while on graveyard shift. The war has given you a new perspective on sleep."

Harry cut in at that point, "The full 10 hours will only be for a few weeks. After that, we will be able to reduce how much time you will spend on duty. We just have to train a few order members to watch over Malfoy and his son. I'm not going to allow anyone to hold this position unless I am one hundred percent sure they are reliable."

Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw Malfoy stand, "Well Granger, we should probably get going then. Eltanin is tired and I really need to get some work done." She could tell he was getting frustrated with being stuck at the ministry. With a sigh, she stood also. "Who will be taking the other watches?" she asked, giving Harry a hug. Trying to keep a straight face, Harry answered, "Jeanette, and Ron, of course."

It took everything in Hermione not to groan, but was able to hold it in. "Be sure to contact them then. I'll be ready to be relieved in 10 hours." Harry smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry you are going to be stuck with Malfoy. You are the only person I would trust with this kind of job. When I look at Eltanin, I think of Teddy. If I had to put Teddy in someone's care, it would be yours."

On that note, Hermione gave Harry and friendly peck on the cheek and turned to leave. She could feel the heat in her cheeks rising as they exited Harry's office. She tried not to look at Malfoy as he watched her walk out the door.

* * *

Later that evening, Hermione sat in Eltanin's floor, trying not to listen to the screaming match happening not ten feet from the door. As the argument ravaged on, Hermione kept her eyes on Elt's face. He seemed impassive, as though this happened all the time. Willow was dancing around, pulling random toys off the shelves for the little boy to play with. As Elt played, Hermione listened to the words drifting from the kitchen.

"He's my son too! I will take him whenever I damn well please," Daphne's voice was rising dangerously to the pitch of a dog-whistle.

"This isn't a good time. You are the one who left. Whenever it's safe, we'll talk." Hermione could hear the threat in Malfoy's voice.

"If you think you are going to get away with this, you have another thing coming."

"I know I'm going to get away with this. Right now, we are in serious danger. If you know what's good for you you'll stay away from us for awhile." The conversation was treading dangerous waters. The more Daphne knew, the more danger she would be in. Harry would be forced to assign another auror to protect the infamous ex-wife.

Therefore, deciding it better to nip the problem in the butt, Hermione stood up. "I'll be right back Elt, stay in here."

Eltanin looked up at her as he stood also. His eyes filled with tears and he hugged himself, "Please don't fight like they do. I hate it whenever my mommy and daddy fight."

For a moment, Hermione forgot what was happening in the front room. She closed her eyes and picked Eltanin up, wiping the tears from his eyes, "I'm not going to fight, I promise. I just need to go and talk to your mommy." Eltanin nodded, crawling out of Hermione's grasp and walked back over to Willow, wiping his eyes. He sat down and looked up at his teacher, "Hurry back."

Hermione nodded, opening the door and stepping into the hallway. She could see Malfoy standing across from his wife, leaning towards her as though wishing to push her out. Of course, Daphne wasn't taking that sitting down. Her face was only inches from Malfoy's. They were so close their noses almost touched. Hermione knew that someone had to be an adult here, and it obviously wasn't going to be either of them. So with a brave face, she cleared her throat. The two stopped fighting for one moment to glance her direction. Malfoy merely raised his eyebrows, giving her a warning glance, but Daphne turned herself towards Hermione, strutting forward. "And who do you think you are, you little tramp."

This stopped Hermione in her tracks. This woman was clearly off her rocker, and Hermione felt quite uncomfortable being under her watchful eyes. "Excuse me?" she asked, as politely as she could.

"If you think that you can waltz in here and take my son away from me, you've got another thing coming. You better stay away from my son and my husband."

"Ex-husband," Malfoy inputted, coming to stand beside Hermione. "As of this afternoon, you are no longer my wife. The judge made it quite clear that the final decision with my son was up to me. You never wanted me or our son, you just want the name and the money. Well you've got the money, and I could care less if you keep my name, I just want you the hell out."

Daphne stepped back as though she'd been slapped. Her eyes were wide, brimming with tears, "I can't believe you just said that to me." Hermione was sure that Malfoy was going to be smacked, but instead Daphne turned to Hermione, "I hope you enjoy him. He was no good to me." And with that she strode to the door, although not without a parting word. "Just a healthy hint," she said with a twist of the doorknob, "No Malfoy is worth the trouble."

With her departing words, Hermione was left feeling odd and uncomfortable. How could Malfoy's ex-wife think she was coming to live permanently with the Slytherin. _I would never_, she told herself, _find myself with Malfoy like that. He may have changed, but he's still a ferret to me._ Hermione looked over at Malfoy, who was still standing beside her. He had his extended in mid-air, behind her back. He was shaking his head and rubbing his temple with his other hand. "Look Granger, I'm sorry you got roped into that," he said apologetically.

Hermione shook her head, guilt flooding her for her previous thought. "Think nothing of it, I'm here on a job and I'm not going to let some crazy ex-wife interfere," her words weren't intended to be sharp, but they had an unmistakable edge to them. Malfoy looked up at her, all traces of sincerity gone. Once again, Hermione felt dizzy. This was getting ridiculous, why couldn't he pick a mood and stick with that.

Before she could get the entire thought out, Malfoy turned and headed to Elt's room. She glanced at her watch, surprised it was only nine o'clock. She still had another 5 hours until Ron came and picked up the next shift. Hermione felt emotionally drained. She walked through the kitchen and into the living room, settling herself into the more expensive than the entire building couch. Of course she felt wrong sitting there, as though she didn't belong. Of course she was being ridiculous, it's not as though Malfoy still cares about blood or anything among that sort. "It must just be years of conditioning."

"What must be?"

Hermione almost jumped off the couch, as she shot up and turned to face the keeper of the house. He was standing with his trademark smirk and long blonde hair. Hermione had half a mind to ask him what happened to the gel, but was able to bite her tongue just in time. Her arms were behind her back and she was sweating bullets. Malfoy walked over to the couch, motioning towards it, "I don't mind if you sit. It's not like I expect you to be standing guard all night." His eyes were still grey and arrogant, but his voice was much softer. He sounded like he was trying to reassure her.

It worked. Hermione sat back down, leaning back into the couch. It was actually a fairly comfy couch, what with the fluffy pillows and suede upholstery. Hermione was so busy enjoying the soft feel of the pillows that she didn't notice Malfoy sit down next to her. Granted he was as far away from her as was possible, but still next to her. Instead of relaxing her, this gesture just made her tense, expecting something to happen. Of course nothing did, unless you count Malfoy giving her an odd stare before leaning his head back and closing his eyes. "I never thanked you did I?"

His lips barely moved, but Hermione heard him. "For what?" she asked.

His lips quirked back into a smirk and he opened his eyes to look at her, "For saving my son. After everything I did to you in school, after going against the light side and fighting for the dark, you still protected him. You could have left him on his own, ran to help the other children, but you specifically held him and kept him calm. For that, I have to thank you."

Hermione looked at her hands in her lap, shaking her head, "No matter what you did to me Malfoy, I would never take it out on your kid. Besides," she looked over his shoulder to the hallway, "Elt is a great kid. He caught my eye as soon as he got into class." And, feeling she should add it, she said, "You've done a really great job."

Malfoy turned towards her, his head tilted a bit. This time, he didn't have a smirk. On his lips rested the beginnings to a real smile. This alone made Hermione smile. She looked back at her hands when she heard him mumble another "thanks" under his breath.

Then there was the awkward silence. It felt weird to Hermione, sitting on the couch of her former enemy. She leaned her head back and shook her head, "Is Elt in bed?" she asked. Malfoy nodded, mimicking her motion. He didn't say anything more, but Hermione had the vague feeling that he was thinking about something. Before she could ask, Malfoy answered her thoughts with his own question. "So I thought you and Weasel were destined to be, what happened?"

_Nosy little bugger,_ Hermione thought in her head, but mentally kicked herself again. There was no reason to act like this, Malfoy had done nothing to antagonize her. With a shrug, she closed her eyes. "I thought we were meant to be too, but Ron and I just fell apart." Hermione paused, not sure how much she was willing to tell Malfoy. Would it be proper to tell him about the name-calling or the fact that Ron never supported her. Hermione settled with the basics, "Whenever we both left the academy with our Private Auror Badges, we decided becoming roommates would be the next step in our relationship. Not soon afterward did he get signed to the Chudley Cannons and I was forgotten." Hermione winced at the memory of the day he left.

"'_mione! Are you home?" Ron stumbled through the door with his mounds of quidditch equipment. Hermione rushed into the room, grabbing anything he couldn't carry and kissing him gently. Ron's grin was evident and Hermione had to smile back. He had gotten signed to Puddlemere, they would be allowed to stay put. Ron had told her that whatever team signs them, they would move so that they could be close to the pitch. It was Hermione's greatest fear to work away from the school. Sure, she could always just apparate there, but she wasn't too fond of that form of travel. _

_Once the equipment had been placed in a hall closet, Hermione ran to Ron and hugged him. "I'm so excited! You were signed!" Ron grinned down at her, pulling her in for a deep kiss. It took a few moments for Ron to pull away, and when he did his smile grew wider. "That's right! The Chudley Cannons signed me on as their 2__nd__ keeper. I'll be training under Grovelmere, the 1__st__ keeper. Give it a few months and I'll be playing each game." _

_Hermione took a step back , crossing her arms. "Ron, I thought Puddlemere was going to sign you as their lead keeper, what happened to them?"_

_Ron nodded enthusiastically, "Yes, they did, but I couldn't turn down the Cannons. I can't wait to move into town, all of the players live real close. We'll go to dinner parties and you won't have to work at all Hermione. You could stay at home. We could start that family."_

_Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, her lips pursed, "Why can't we start a family with me working. There is nothing wrong with a working mother."_

_Ron scoffed at her and shook his head, "''mione, if we are going to have a big family, then you're going to have to stay home." Hermione didn't know what to say, she didn't want a big family, only a small one. She had grown up her entire life being an only child and she loved it. She didn't want a house full of kids, just one or two. "Ron, we've talked about this."_

"_I know Hermione, but you'll see. Once you live at home, you'll know what a great life it is," Ron reached out to pull her into another hug, "You'll love it."_

_Hermione wouldn't let him touch her. His hand followed her as she stepped back, "Ron, I'm not going to stay home. I'm going to work at my school and enjoy _that._ I love my school."_

"_Hermione, no one cares about the school. I don't want you to work."_

"_What, so I can stay home all day and cook and clean," Hermione was furious. She had heard his speech a hundred times, but he never heard hers._

_All Ron did was nod, pulling her into a hug. Hermione allowed him to but she didn't wrap her arms around him. He sensed something was wrong so he pulled back, "Hermione, women in my family don't work."_

_Hermione pushed him away and started to walk towards their bedroom, "And the men in my family aren't chauvinistic. They actually care about what their better halves want." Pausing at the door, she turned to look at him, "If you want the Chudley Cannons, I'm not going to stand in your way. This has been your dream forever, and I'm not going to crush it. Just remember, if you leave to join them, my door is shut to you forever. I'm going to move on and make a life for myself. I love you, but I can't live with you anymore."_

That night, Hermione lay in bed for hours, trying to get some sleep. When she finally did drift off, her dreams were filled with monsters and ropes that were holding her back. In the morning, once she had gotten the nerve to face Ron, he had left. The only thing she found was a note. It still brought tears to her eyes as she remembered the way it felt to be loved, but not loved enough.

Malfoy cleared his throat, which pulled Hermione out of her trance. She stared at him for a moment, wondering why he had even asked that question. She was about to voice her opinion when he interrupted her, "I'm sorry Granger. You may not be my favorite person, but no one deserves that." He seemed to think about that for a moment, before rephrasing his statement with, "Well no one but Daphne deserves to be treated like that."

At this comment Hermione smiled, shaking her head. She did agree, no one should be thrown out, but it still happened. Tears threatening to fall from her eyes, she changed the subject, "So why do you live in a flat. I always pictured you as the mansion and big money type of guy."

Malfoy laughed, surprising Hermione, and shook his head, "The whole riches ruling your life got old. I've still got a healthy amount of money in the bank, but I don't dip into it unless I need to. I find that living a simpler life is much more rewarding." Hermione watched as his eyes took in the room surrounding him, "Plus I know what it's like to grow up in a large, cold house. It gets lonely. I didn't want Eltanin to wake up every morning wondering if he would get lost going to breakfast. This way, he leaves his room and has only one hallway leading to food."

Hermione nodded, laughing, "So it's for survival purposes."

Malfoy laughed along with her, "Exactly."

* * *

Draco sat on his couch, watching Granger as she laughed her high laugh. Her voice really was comforting. She had created an atmosphere in which he could wind down from his fight with Daphne. Lately she had been getting on his last nerve, unlike Granger.

He marveled at how much she had changed over the years. She was taller and leaner. Her hair no longer fluffed out but fell down in soft ringlets. They were much better to look at then Daphne's straight, black hair. It was comforting to Draco, having someone intelligent he could talk to. With Daphne in the house, conversations with Eltanin had been the peak of his day. Now, he found himself sitting on his couch with his former enemy talking about his messed up life. How surreal could you get?

"So honestly," Hermione pulled Draco out of his train of thought, "How do you truly feel about someone you used to think as beneath you protecting you." Draco pondered at her question a moment. It was a slightly awkward question for him to answer, mostly because he didn't know the true answer himself. How did he feel about Hermione Granger, Gryffindor Know-It-All, protecting his life. He looked up into her brown eyes and shook his head, "I'm honestly not sure. Of course it surprises me to feel so safe in your presence, but I also know you're not here to hurt me. You would never hurt Elt like that." What was he saying? He had only talked to Granger for the past few days. How could he be sure she wouldn't try to hurt him?

The look in her eyes answered his unasked question. She looked determined and proud, as though she knew it was true and would do anything to prove it. "You are right," she nodded, settling even farther into the cushions, "I would never hurt Elt like that."

_Or me_, Draco thought, adding it to the end of her sentence. He watched as she closed her eyes and leaned her head toward the side of the couch. When he saw this, he looked at the rest of her body. She looked truly exhausted, of course, who wouldn't. She'd been through a lot in one day and was clearly drained. He stayed there for a few more moments, waiting for her to drift to sleep. It didn't take long for her light snores to begin. He had to smile at the small sound she made. It was nothing like Daphne's roar while she slept.

With a sigh, Draco stood up and looked around for the spare blanket. It only took him a few moments to find it, which he was thankful for. His own mind was becoming fuddled as he threw the throw over his arm. Walking back over to Hermione, Draco examined how she was sleeping. The awkward position of her neck would clearly give her kinks in the morning. So, with a roll of his eyes, he sat down the blanket and lifted her from the couch. She mumbled in her sleep, her head falling onto his shoulder as she slept on. Draco didn't notice, but he touch sent a small jolt through his body. Of course, at the present moment in time, he would mistake the feeling for awkwardness and not for what it truly was.

"Ron?" Hermione said, sighing in her sleep. He felt her shake her head, but didn't think anything of it. He wasn't actually paying attention until she said, "You're not Ron." Draco stopped, mid-crouch, and looked down at her. _Bloody hell, she talks in her sleep._ Draco filed away this bit of information as he laid her flat on the couch. Her head gently left her shoulder and fell onto one of the pillows. He turned to grab the blanket and heard another mumbled come from behind him, "Hmmm, that's nice."

Draco smirked as he fanned the blanket out on top of her. Then, with careful hands, he pulled her wand from her pocket and laid it next to her hand. She grasped it and pulled it to her chest, as though protecting it. Draco wondered what could have caused that reaction.

He didn't dwell on it long though, it was past his bedtime. He stood and left the living room and sleeping Hermione behind. As he past his son's bedroom, he peeked in. There Eltanin was, fast asleep on his bed, his chest rising and falling with each breath. This one motion soothed Draco's nerves and he headed to his bed. For the first time in a long time, Draco felt completely content and safe.

* * *

_Hello to my lovely readers!_

_I know this chapter has taken me forever to get out. It's just that I had so many ideas and so little time to write. My first scene was 2000 words alone, and I didn't want to post just the office scene. I hope you all enjoyed the talk between Draco and Hermione. I didn't want to go into their relationship too fast, but I also didn't want to wait too long. I'm not expecting the story to be too large, so the plot will move along fairly quickly. For anyone who has been wondering about Ron, he will become a key character soon. I promise, I haven't forgotten the Golden Trio at all. _

_I'm trying to make this story a bit more realistic than fairy tale. I'm excited with where it's going though, trust me, you guys are going to love it! I hope you enjoyed this super chapter and I can't wait to get the next one up. Please Always Remember to Love._

_Until We Meet Again,_

_Ms. Darcy_


	4. Fear Cannot Take Me

_I do not own anything in the Harry Potter universe. Those all belong to The Beautiful JK Rowling. I'm just borrowing her characters to make a story of my own. I hope you all enjoy._

_Also, this story is mine, as are any new characters that I introduce. Please do not steal them._

_And now back to our feature_

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Chapter 4

_Fear Cannot Take Me_

The day came bright and early for Draco, lulling him from a restless sleep. With a groan, he rolled over and placed his right arm over his eyes. A few more minutes of sleep couldn't hurt; unless you have an overactive four year old that rises with the sun. Right on cue, Draco heard his door open and close, a small giggle erupting from the foot of his bed. Keeping his arm over his eyes, he tried to breathe evenly, as though still asleep. The giggles escalated until they were right next to him. Without even noticing, Draco's lips perked into a smile. After a moment the giggles stopped and I small sigh sounded from beside him, "Daddy, you are already awake."

Draco's smile deepened and he removed his arms, looking at his son's face. There was a small pout hanging on Elt's lips as he stood there. Draco pulled his son onto the bed and into his lap, "That's ok, you can try and scare me tomorrow. Today we make breakfast. How do pancakes sound?"

Elt's face lit up and he jumped off the bed, running down the hallway, "Ms. Hermione, Ms. Hermione, wake up. We're having pancakes!"

Draco chuckled and pulled himself out of bed, slipping on a white undershirt and black slacks. It didn't bother him that Elt had run into the living room without Draco; Hermione was still here to keep him safe. This though made Draco stop, mid-thought. _Hermione was supposed to go home last night. Why is she still here?_

Curiously, he walked into the hallway and made his way to the living room. He could hear Elt chattering on about how delicious pancakes are, which only pushed his curiosity further. Whenever he walked into the living room, there was Granger, sitting on the couch, smiling at Eltanin. Her eyes were tense though, as was her body. Before Draco could say anything, a small chirping noise was coming from her bag in the kitchen. As though she were a bolt of lightning, she stood up and sprinted to the singing bag. Granger reached inside her bag and pulled out what looked like a small black electronic device. It was making the most annoying noise he had ever heard and it made him want to crush the piece of technology in her hand. Once again, she was quicker than he could react. She pressed a small green button below the screen and held it up to her ear. In an instant Draco understand what it must be. It had to be one of those portable telephone things. Of course he thought they were preposterous, owls were just as fast. There was no need for a muggle contraption to instantly connect you with another person. If the said person doesn't have enough patience to-

Draco cut himself off, his inner rant making him miss the first part of Granger's conversation. Now he was stuck trying to catch up with the conversation.

"Yes, it's ok Harry, I fell asleep anyway, and it was no problem staying here. Just as long as he is ok, I'm fine."

Draco heard a loud mumble from the other end of the phone, which of course Draco couldn't understand. It amused him to watch Granger making faces at the phone though, "Harry, it's no big deal."

Another loud rumble made Draco chuckle. Whenever Potter was angry, he sure got angry. His laughing instantly stopped whenever Granger turned as glared at him. He glared right back, willing her to say something. This was his house, and he would laugh whenever he wanted to. Rather than pick a fight with her while she was talking to Potter, Draco motioned for Elt to follow him and he began taking down ingredients to make pancakes. Eltanin smiled his crooked smile and sat at the table. Unfortunately, he stayed quiet, respecting Granger. "Let's start Daddy, and we should put chocolate chips in the pancakes. That's always good," he rubbed his stomach for emphasis. Draco chuckled again and placed a small kiss on the boy's forehead, "I don't know. We'll have to see."

At this moment, Hermione walked away from the wall and sat at the table, trying to be happy and failing miserably. Draco took the opportunity to annoy her, "I take it Weasel didn't show up?"

He had to hand it to Hermione, whenever she got angry she was very good at keeping her cool in front of kids. He could almost read the string of curse words she was thinking of in her mind. Instead she smiled sweetly and shrugged, "He just got busy last night. That happens a lot with Ron."

With a sideways glance at her, Draco had a feeling that he had stepped over the line. The hurt in her eyes was obvious as she sat watching her phone. It beeped once again, but this time only once. Instead of pulling it to her ear, she picked up the thing and began pressing random buttons. After a minute, Draco had to ask, "What in the world are you doing Granger?"

Elt piped up, "She's texting Daddy. Mommy does it too."

_Great,_ Draco thought to himself, _this is the second witch in my house that is obsessed with some absurd muggle contraption._

Granger put her phone back in her bag and set down at the table. She glanced at her watch and shook her head, "Jean will show up in a few minutes, I'm sorry about Ron."

Draco waved her off with his hand and started to make the pancakes he promised Eltanin. He could feel Granger's eyes on the back of his head, but he ignored it. This continued as he started the fire under his griddle and poured batter onto the black surface. Draco turned back toward Granger and raised his eyebrows, "What?"

Eltanin had abandoned the table and was now in the living room with a toy wand, turning a coaster from white to red, then back again. Granger just watched him, her brown eyes looking at him in disbelief. "Might you enlighten me as to why you've developed a staring problem?" Granger sat up straighter and got a dangerous look in her eyes. He watched her for a moment, her eyes going from fierce, to angry, back to normal in a matter of seconds. Finally, a smirk settled onto her mouth, and he tilted his head to the side. Before he even had a chance to ask, she answered his questioning look. "You're pancake is burning."

Draco turned quickly and stuck his spatula underneath the pancake, flipping it over and sighing. "Before you showed up, my pancakes came out perfect." Draco heard a chuckle from behind his back, which he promptly ignored. He was not in the mood to handle the perky bushy brunette this morning. Draco wasn't sure if Granger was going to retort or not, but Elt walked up to his father and tugged on his arm, "That's your pancake Dad."

A knock on the door interrupted Draco as he picked up his son with his free hand. Before he could put down his spatula, Granger was up and opening the door with her wand in her right hand. She had only cracked it open whenever Potter pushed open the door and rushed in, looking frazzled and upset. "How Ron is of any relation to Ginny, I don't know. She's so reliable, and him, I just don't know anymore."

"Hold on Harry, I'm sure there is a perfectly good explanation," Granger's voice was soothing, almost as though she were talking to a child. Draco looked over at his son and shook his head, turning back to his pancakes.

"Hermione, when does Ron ever have a perfectly good explanation," Potter shook his head, his fingers rubbing his temples. The stress was clearly lined on his forehead. Draco laughed and shook his head, still cooking his pancakes. Granger glared at him, which didn't faze him, although her attempt at intimidation was rather cute. Her hand rested on her wand, but Draco knew better. Eltanin was still propped up on his hip, trying his hardest to assist his father with the cooking.

Instead of glaring, Potter wisely ignored him. "Look, I'll try and find him, and in the meantime Jean is will be here for her shift."

Granger shook her head, "Just don't be too hard on h-"

Three knocks on the door cut her off. Potter turned and slowly opened the door, his wand at the ready. It only took a few moments, but to Draco it felt like an eternity. Lo' and behold, there stood the red-headed weasel himself. Before any fist fights could break out, Draco cleared his throat loudly and looked down at Eltanin. "How about you go play in your room. I'll have Willow bring your pancakes."

Elt puckered his lips and crossed his arms. "I want to stay in here with the grownups."

Draco turned off the fire on the stove and shook his head, carrying Eltanin to his room and setting him on his bed. "The grownups are acting very childish right now, you don't want to be in there with those babies." The little boy laughed and pointed to himself, "Because I am no baby!"

Draco laughed and nodded, walking to the door and closing it behind him. The site that was waiting for him was not one he would have expected. Potter and Weasley had their wands out and Granger was standing between them, her hands on either ones chest. The only thing Draco could do is roll his eyes and go back to cooking. "You know, if the Magical Community had seen the oh-so-wonderful Golden Trio threatening each other, the war probably would have been lost."

"Malfoy stay out of this," the stress in Granger's voice was apparent as the two men squared off. Neither of them said anything, they merely stared at each other. It was a sad sight to see indeed.

He probably should have stopped, but his instinct to poke fun at the three was too strong. "I'm not usually one to like the good stuff, but why don't you two just kiss and make up. That's what normally happens correct?"

Ok, so it wasn't his best line, but under the circumstances, it was all he was willing to insult.

Potty and Weasel finally seemed to grow some spine, at least Potter did. "Ron, I can't believe you would do something so dimwitted."

This seemed to upset Weasley very much, because he retorted, "I'm sorry I'm not as smart as the boy who lived, or his know-it-all best friend. Some of us have a life outside of being an auror. I just happen to forget I have duty, with a Ferret no less, and you jump on my ass."

"Ron, I gave you specific instructions. How am I supposed to rely on you out in the field when I can't even count on you to show up on time."

"I would actually want to be on the field, that's where I strive. Why would I want to be here when I could be at Practice with the Chudley Cannons."

Though it wasn't obvious, Potter looked sincerely hurt, "Fine Ron, don't worry about it. I'll just take care of it. You can get back to the Chudley Cannons."

Granger, who had been quiet during this entire ordeal, finally struck. If Draco had noticed her going after the red-haired idiot, he may have stopped her, probably.

Seeing as neither he nor Potter noticed, Granger's hand became a fist and connected squarely with Weasley's jaw. A dull thud echoed around the small kitchen and Granger pulled her hand to her chest, tears streaming down her face.

No one said anything, they were all too stunned. In a matter of seconds, the atmosphere had chilled considerably. Not surprisingly, Granger was the first one to speak, "Ronald Weasley, you are the most ungrateful, inconsiderate, idiotic prick I have ever had the misfortune of knowing."

With the last word, she sprinted out of the door and turned on the spot, disappearing.

Draco smirked, his gaze falling upon Weasley. Before he could speak though, Potter spoke first. "You'd better go and apologize, Ron. Then you had better be here tonight, or else I will fire you and possibly have a talk with your Captain."

Wealsey nodded, nursing his jaw and apparating after Granger. Draco shook his head, gazing at Potter with a confused look, "You're really going to give him a chance."

The look on Potter's face said everything, "Yeah, but I sure as hell don't know why. Look, I'm going to stay here until Jean shows up, then she'll be here for a while. I might try and talk her into giving 'mione the night off"

Draco merely nodded and finished the pancakes with his wand. He didn't really want to stay in the kitchen with Potter, so he took a plate to Eltanin, who was in a much happier mood. It seemed Willow was keeping Elt thoroughly entertained. Whenever Draco opened the door, a set of stuffed dragons flew over his head, making a full lap around the room and landing in front of his son. Elt was clapping his little hands quickly as Willow bowed. "That was amazing Willow. I wish I could do that!"

Draco put the tray down in front of the little boy and kissed the top of his head, smoothing back the blond hair, "One day, you will."

Elt grinned and picked up his fork, "Really Daddy?"

Draco nodded, sitting down next to him, "Really."

Eltanin smiled and started eating his pancakes, giving them his full attention.

* * *

Hermione's flat was strangely lonely without Jeanette there. She knew that the Malfoy's needed protection, but at that moment, she could really use her best friend. Tears streamed down her face as she made her way to the hallway bathroom. Flipping a switch, the light bulb above the sink lit with a strong florescent white light. She gazed in the mirror, horrified with what she saw. Her hair was frazzled and a mess, her eyes were red and puffy, except where her mascara had run. She looked like a fuzzy raccoon that was having an allergic reaction. Using her wand, Hermione sent a message to Ginny, telling her she would be at her house in 10 minutes. After that, Hermione quickly began scrubbing her face, trying to wash away any trace of make-up or tears. She would not give Ron the satisfaction.

"Hermione?"

The voice was coming from her foyer, where a gangly red-headed man stared back at her. His eyes were gloomy and apologetic. "'mione, I'm so sorry. I didn't me-"

Hermione stopped him mid-sentence, her anger erupting suddenly, "I don't want to hear it Ron. I'm not sorry for what I did. You deserved it."

Ron nodded and walked over to where she was standing, "I know, I shouldn't have been so careless."

Hermione nodded, shoving past him to go into her bedroom. Ron grabbed her arm and stopped her, turning so that he was facing her. "Please don't walk away from me 'mione."

Just as it had appeared, her anger was gone. The man standing next to her knew he had made a mistake, and he didn't want her to leave. Hermione stopped and shook her head, "I'm sorry too, I'm just so uptight these days."

Ron nodded in understanding, "It's ok, I'm going to do better."

Hermione grinned, pulling him into a hug, "I know, it's alright."

She could feel his smile and it made her giggle. Ron's arms tightened around her as he pulled away to look at her. His eyes met hers and she felt the world melt away. It was like they were young again, falling in love. She knew it was coming, and really should have stopped it, but she couldn't. She wanted it as much as he did. In a matter of two seconds their lips had connected. It was only intended to be a simple kiss, nothing too serious. Neither of the two wanted to complicate their lives further, but it wasn't something Hermione could stop. Her body was in control as her hands wrapped around Ron's neck. His hands grabbed onto her waist, pulling her closer to him. She felt like she was in heaven, finally happy again.

Before it could go any further, Ron pulled away. "Hermione, I-"

Hermione stepped back, her lips still tingling from the kiss. She had nothing to say to him. That one moment had healed her, only to have her ripped in half again. She shook her head as Ron went to wrap his arms around her again, "Hermione I'm sorry. I just ca-" but Ron wasn't able to finish his sentence. Hermione had turned and disappeared, determined to get away from the one man who could destroy her.

She arrived on the doorstep of Number 12, Grimmauld Place. Contrary to before, her eyes were dry. She thought about the way Ron had backed away from her, as though she were some untouchable. Her blood boiled as she reached for the door knocker. Her senses went into overdrive, telling her that something was wrong. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She had the strange sensation of being watched. Looking slowly over her shoulder, she found no one behind her. Hermione reached for the door handle and was surprised to see the door kicked in. She didn't stop to examine the doorframe. Instead, she rushed inside with her wand in front of her. _Keep quiet, observe situation, secure perimeter, find survivors._ Her throat caught whenever she thought of her last step.

Sidestepping, Hermione walked slowly through the hallway to the small sitting area. Memories of those sleepless nights she spent laying here during her seventh year flooded back to her. She didn't have time to dwell on these thoughts, there was a more pressing problem at hand. The room looked as though a hurricane had swept through, which made her breath catch in her throat. There were no signs of struggle or wand work. Hermione made her way slowly to the kitchen, where she wanted to find someone, but was afraid of what she would find.

It took her five minutes to sweep the first floor, and she found nothing, only overturned chairs and messy rooms. Moving to the staircase, Hermione made her way up to the second floor. She was surprised to see scorch marks on the wall. Scorch marks, she knew, could not be caused by a muggle.

The boy's room was just ahead, and the door was standing wide open. Hermione's heart sped up as she walked quickly to the bedroom. As she grew closer, she could hear whimpering just inside the door. She forgot everything she had learned in Auror Academy. She didn't care about securing the perimeter, she just had to get into that room.

As soon as she stepped through the doorway, her heart stopped completely at the site before her. A small red-headed boy stood over his mother, tears streaming down his face. His brother was lying unconscious next to his mother, her hand draped over him protectively. Hermione rushed forward, "Albus?"

The small little boy looked up at her, fear in his eyes. He reached up to her, and Hermione took him. As she rested him on her hip, she knelt down next to her friend, "Ginny, Ginny wake up."

There was blood on the floor around Ginny's head, but it was impossible to tell whose it was. Pointing her wand away from the two laying on the floor, Hermione said, "Expecto Patronum." An otter erupted from the tip and scurried away. Not two second after she sent the message, she heard the familiar pop of Harry outside of the door. "Hermione where is Ginny."

"She's in here," Hermione said as Harry walked through the door. "We've got to hurry, Teddy is hurt too."

Harry's eyes glazed over, taking in the site in front of him. He seemed to be frozen. There wasn't much time, and Hermione knew it. "Harry, snap out of it. I've got Albus. You've got to get Teddy and Ginny to St. Mungos, fast."

He seemed to become more aware of his surroundings as he nodded his head. "I've got them, just get Albus somewhere safe."

Hermione only nodded and let Harry take care of his wife. As she saw Teddy, her heart hurt. Images of Tonks and Lupin filled her mind as tears began to fall. "H-Har-Harry," she whispered. He picked up Teddy and cradled him in his arms and reached out for Ginny, "What Hermione?"

Hermione shook her head, "Please tell me she's alright. That he's alright."

Harry nodded his head, "They are going to be ok." He looked down at Teddy, tears running down his face, "They have to be. Listen Hermione, when you get Albus safe, ask Kingsley to meet me at St. Mungos."

Hermione nodded, turning on the spot and arriving at the only place she could think about, Malfoy's.

Albus' arms tightened around her neck. She could feel his face buried in her neck and rested her cheek on top of his head. Once she felt solid ground beneath her, she took out her wand. "Expecto Patronum," she muttered. Just as she had expected, no Otter erupted from her wand. She couldn't seem to muster any happy thoughts. Her head started spinning as she looked around. Jeanette came around the corner, rushing towards her. "'Mi? Albus? What are you doing here."

"Send a message to Kingsley, tell him to go to St. Mungos." Jeans face fell as Hermione's words sank in. She took out her wand and sent her own penguin shaped patronus flying. Nausea consumed Hermione as she sat down in the nearest chair. Jean reached out for Albus, trying to take him from her, but he refused to let go, all he could say was, "No, No, No."

Hermione shook her head and pulled him closer, "Shh, it's ok. Auntie Mione is here." She still couldn't seem to get a hold of herself and was surprised whenever a blond-haired man bent down next to her. "Hermione, what happened? Are you hurt?"

Hermione shook her head, looking down at the small boy in her hands. "Want to go and play with Eltanin?" Albus nodded, but didn't move. Tears sparkled in his eyes as he looked up at Hermione.

"Will Mommy and 'eddy be o-tay?"

Hermione nodded, "Yes, they will be just fine."

Accepting the answer, but still upset, he took Jeanette's hand and let her lead him to Eltanin's room. Hermione held back her tears until she knew the small boy couldn't see her.

"Hermione, what happened?"

She couldn't seem to keep Malfoy in focus. Her stomach lurched as she leaned down and laid her head on his shoulder. "After I left, Ron came over. He was apologizing for what happened. We were just talking and then we were kissing and then-" Hermione broke off, sobs breaking her speech. She felt two arms surround her as she fell apart.

"Shh," Malfoy soothed her.

"He…He pulled away. We're actually over."

Malfoy's arms tightened around her as she cried harder. She felt another pair of arms surround her waist and another voice say, "'Mione, what happened?" Jeanette gently pushed Malfoy out of the way and pulled Hermione's face up to look at her. "Why did you have Albus? You have to tell me."

Hermione nodded, another sob breaking through her lips. "It's Ginny. I went to talk to Ginny and," she took a deep breath before she continued, "I walked in and everything was in disarray. When I went upstairs, I found Albus above Ginny. There was blood everywhere. Teddy was lying next to her, unconscious just like she was."

The image of Ginny on the floor with her arm over little Teddy was too much. Pushing Jean away, Hermione ran to the bathroom. Her stomach lurched as her throat stung from stomach acid. A pair of cool hands touched her face and pulled her hair back. It took a few minutes before Hermione had emptied her stomach of all contents. Pulling back, she rested her forehead against Malfoy's neck. "I'm sorry."

She felt Malfoy chuckle and shake his head, "What for?"

She had an answer, but she just couldn't get it out. Instead, she pulled away and started washing her mouth out with water. She could hear Malfoy banging around in various cabinets until he handed her a toothbrush. "I always keep a spare."

Hermione raised her eyebrows, but didn't question it. He smirked at her, as if reading her mind. She chose to ignore him and finished cleaning herself up. Jeanette was rubbing her back, looking anxiously over her shoulder. "Hermione, I know this probably isn't the right time,"

Hermione stopped her mid-sentence, "No, I know what you're thinking. We've got to be careful, set up a more secure perimeter."

Jeanette nodded and walked off, no doubt placing more charms around the apartment. Hermione smiled at Malfoy and walked across the hall to Eltanin's room. The two boys were lying on their stomach, coloring with magical crayons. Hermione recognized them because they were the same kind she had used in her classroom. Albus' face was still etched with worry, but he seemed more at ease with Eltanin. Hermione was very happy that she had chosen this place to take him.

Malfoy came up behind her and wrapped an arm protectively around her waist, "You need to get some rest. Come on," he pulled her along with him to what she could only guess was his bedroom. She looked up at the blond-haired man and smirked, "Aren't we moving a little too quickly?"

"Humor," Malfoy muttered, shaking his head. "I'm not trying to bed you, Hermione, just trying to keep you from collapsing."

Hermione nodded and let him lead her through his bedroom door.

* * *

Draco went over to his closet and pulled out a shirt and pair of sleep pants for Hermione to wear. Her jeans didn't look like they would be very comfortable. She opened her mouth to argue, but he stopped her. "Don't complain, I'm being nice." After he said that, she merely nodded and turned around. Draco left the room and waited for her to get dressed before walking back in. He chuckled at the size of his clothes on her. He knew she was small, but seeing her being swallowed by one of his shirts was quite interesting.

Before he could say anything, though, she lay down on his bed and closed her eyes. "Thank you," she muttered.

Draco smiled and sat down next to her, "No problem."

When she felt his weight on the other side of the bed, she opened her eyes and looked up at him. "For more than just the bed."

Draco nodded, "I know."

She closed her eyes and sighed, a lone tear falling down her cheek. Draco felt an unfamiliar pain in his chest. It didn't hurt, but it was pleasant either. Instinctively, he reached out and wiped the tear away. The wetness spread across her face and disappeared. His heart started pumping faster as he sat there and his hands started to sweat. This wasn't as unfamiliar as the first sensation, but it wasn't one he felt a lot. Draco knew that he should leave, just get out while he could, but something kept him from moving. He averted his eyes, hoping for something to distract him, but he didn't find anything. There was nothing else he wanted to look at. So instead of torturing himself, he looked back down at the bushy-brunette lying in his bed.

The few moments he had spent trying to ignore her, tears had spread down her face and onto his pillow. She was shaking, her breath coming in deep gasps. Scooting next to her, Draco pulled Hermione up onto his chest and wrapped his arms around her. She responded with gratitude and didn't try and hold back her tears anymore. Her arms grabbed at him, clenching tight around his waist as she sobbed into his chest. Draco stroked her hair and whispered words like, "Don't cry", "It's alright", and "It's all going to be okay".

They sat there for what seemed like hours until Jeanette leaned her head in and nodded towards Hermione. She mouthed the words, "I'm not leaving, so don't worry," to him before closing the door. Hermione had finally stopped crying and was breathing deeply, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. He watched her as she slept, a warm feeling coming over him. Draco tried to ignore the nagging thoughts at the back of his head, but he couldn't help it. His thoughts were straying towards the beautiful girl lying in his arms.

She hadn't been asleep long before a glowing stag arrived in his room, stirring them both from a light sleep. Potter's voice erupted from the animal, "Teddy is doing fine, he misses Albus. No word on Ginny yet. They say they are trying everything they can."

Hermione sat up and looked around, "Where is Albus."

"I assume he's asleep in Elt's room," Draco answered.

She nodded and looked down at him, "I'm sorry again. I didn't mean to break down like that. I don't usually do that."

Draco chuckled and shook his head, "You didn't do anything wrong, I promise I'm not as cold-hearted as I seem."

Hermione smiled and leaned back against the headboard, "I know that," she muttered.

* * *

_Ok, so it's taken me like 3 million years to get this chapter out, but guess what, I've finally gotten past my 4__th__ chapter curse. I actually finished the fourth chapter. I know this chapter was moving really fast in the whole Draco/Hermione relationship, but I had to get it started. I'm not planning on this story being more than 10 chapters, maybe not even that long. If you can forgive me for not writing sooner, I hope you enjoyed it!_

_Always Remember to Love,_

_Until We Meet Again,_

_Ms. Darcy_


	5. A New Day

_I do not own anything in the Harry Potter universe. Those all belong to The Beautiful JK Rowling. I'm just borrowing her characters to make a story of my own. I hope you all enjoy._

_Also, this story is mine, as are any new characters that I introduce. Please do not steal them._

_And now back to our feature

* * *

_

Chapter 5

_A New Day_

Just as it had the day before, a sliver of light settled on Draco's face and he awoke slowly. His mind was muddled as he looked down at the body lying across his chest. The bushy hair tickled his chin as he watched her sleep. His shirt was damp where he was sure she had been crying. Her chest rose and fell in a rhythm that didn't match his. He could vaguely hear Eltanin's voice in the kitchen, talking excitedly to someone. Draco sighed and rested his cheek in Hermione's hair. He inhaled her sweet scent, the smell of lavender enhancing his senses. She stirred and Draco froze. The sudden realization of how close they were stopped Draco mid-thought. Slowly, he tried to maneuver himself out from underneath Hermione.

He was almost out of the danger zone, when he felt a soft arm surround his waist and pull him closer. He looked down to see Hermione, still asleep, but holding on to him with a death grip. Her mouth was turned down in a frown and tears had formed on her lashes. "Don't go," she said sleepily. Draco stopped what he was doing and stayed where he was, letting her sleep longer.

She slept for another hour before waking up. Her eyes cracked open and she sniffed, her hair ruffled in more than one place. "Hey," Draco said, helping her sit up. She looked at him, her face blushing pink.

"I…I'm so sorry."

Draco shook his head, a smile touching his lips, "Don't worry about it."

"HERMIONE!" Weasley's voice echoed through the rooms.

Draco stood up, his jaw tense, "Bloody Hell."

Hermione didn't stick around though; she sprinted out of the room and into the kitchen. Albus and Eltanin were sitting in front of the TV, watching a movie that Jeanette put on. Weasel was staring at Hermione, his mouth open. A smug grin reached Draco's lips. Hermione didn't seem to notice his face, because she went right to him and threw her arms around him. "Oh Ron, please tell me you've heard about Ginny."

Weasel stopped staring at Draco to focus on Hermione. "What were you do-"

"Ginny. Have you heard anything about Ginny?" Hermione's voice had risen, ending in a small, high pitched voice.

"Whoever attacked her knew what they were doing. The healers are doing what they can, but she won't wake up. That's why I'm here, to see if you knew anything."

Hermione shook her head, "The only thing at the house that was out of place was the fact that it was a mess. There had obviously been a struggle."

Weasley nodded, "Yeah, that's what Kingsley said to. Teddy doesn't remember anything. The healer's looked at him and it looked like that was Ginny's doing."

Hermione nodded, understanding immediately. Draco, however, looked at her with confusion. Jeanette walked up beside him, crossing her arms, "Short-term memory spell. Anyone who gets hit with the spell looses their short-term memory."

Hermione turned and nodded, "Ginny didn't want Teddy remembering whatever was happening," she glanced at Jeanette, "Have you looked at Albus."

Jean nodded, "She did the same thing to him."

Draco looked over at Albus, wondering what it must feel like to forget a part of your life, when he noticed another adult, looking over the back of his couch at them all. "Blaise," Draco said, walking over to his best friend. Eltanin was sitting on Blaise's lap, but abandoned his uncle to be picked up by his father. "Uncle B came by to talk about Mommy."

"How wonderful," Draco laughed, kissing Elt on the cheek and looking down at his best mate. The three talking at the door seemed oblivious to Draco being absent from the conversation. This was fine with him, except Weasel still had his arm around Hermione's waist. A wave of emotion Draco had never experienced washed over him. Being Draco Malfoy, he decided to ignore it. He sat down next to Blaise and leaned his head against the back of the couch. Eltanin jumped off his lap, sitting down next to Albus. A strange lion cub was on the TV, singing along to some absurd song.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Blaise shake his head, "Bloody Americans. They just don't understand what is entertaining anymore."

Draco shrugged, "The boys seem to like it."

Blaise looked back incredulously, "The boys? You do realize that's Potter's kid."

Draco nodded, "Yeah and Potter is saving my life right now. So I have no grudge against him. As for Albus, he's almost as adorable as Elt."

Blaise shook his head again, "Well, you are biased."

Draco closed his eyes, knowing what was coming. He tried to keep his voice steady as they discussed Daphne, "So, what have you heard about the divorce papers?"

Blaise's sigh echoed Draco's, "She's got a good Negotiator. He's actually convinced the council that she deserves rights to her child."

Anger flared in Draco's chest, "I'll be damned if she's taking my son away."

Once again, Blaise shook his head, "No, she can't do that. She would only have visiting rights. In fact, she got a Juror to sign for time with Elt today."

As if on cue, his doorbell rang. Draco groaned, shaking his head. "There's got to be something I can do."

Draco was getting tired of Blaise shaking his head, but he didn't take his anger out on his best friend, "No mate, she's made it official."

Before Draco could say anything, he heard Hermione in the background, "Daphne, what are you doing here?"

Draco stood up, pulling Eltanin in his arms. Daphne walked in, as cold and heartless as ever, "I'm here for Eltanin."

Hermione looked over at Draco then back at Daphne, "What are you talking about, you can't take Elt."

Daphne just smiled coldly at Hermione and walked past her to Draco, "Well at least you're completely dressed this time."

Draco smirked, covering up the urge to kick her out of his house, "I need a shower, so if you stick around."

His ex-wife looked appalled, "How dare you?"

Draco raised an eyebrow, "I could ask you the same thing."

"I'm taking my kid."

"You don't even call him by his real name, so you can just take you a-"

"Elt how would you and Albus like to go and play with Willow?"

Draco looked over at Hermione, who had made her way over to the standoff in the living room. Draco then looked down at Eltanin. His eyes were wet and his little nose was red. Guilt washed over Draco as he stood there with his crying son. Eltanin really shouldn't have to go through this.

Instead of handing him over to Hermione, Draco nodded and walked past Hermione to get into Eltanin's room. He heard Albus and Hermione following him, along with the Click-clack of Daphne's heels. Willow was waiting for them in Elt's room. She had his dragons out, already floating in mid-air. Elt laughed and kissed Draco on the cheek, "I love you Daddy." The love Draco felt for his son crushed his heart. He wouldn't let Daphne take him; she couldn't take care of him. Putting Eltanin down, he looked behind him at Hermione. Her eyes were cautious as she watched him. Her hair was still disheveled and her eyes still drooped from sleep.

Daphne cleared her throat, her arms crossed over her chest, "I'm taking Eltanin with me."

Draco shook his head, resting his hand on the small of Hermione's back. He led her out, bidding Daphne to follow. She obliged, shutting the door behind her. Hermione pulled out her wand and muttered the silence spell over Eltanin's door. "Thanks," Draco said, going back into the living room. Blaise was standing next to Weasley and Jeanette, waiting for Draco. "I need to look over those papers."

Before he could ask Daphne for her papers, Hermione was pulling some of her own out of her back pocket. "She can't take Elt, not until we find out who is after him."

Blaise stiffened, then reached for the papers, "May I?" he asked.

Hermione handed over the papers in her hand, nodding to Draco. "It's official, Signed by the Minister of Magic himself."

Daphne huffed, grabbing the papers out of Blaise's hand. She read through them quickly, shaking her head. "I don't understand."

Hermione took back the papers, folding them and putting them back in her pocket, "Whoever burned down my school is after Eltanin. The Office of Auror's has classified evidence that they are not required to disclose. All you need to know is that we are not going to allow Eltanin to be separated from his father. If you have any problem with this I suppose you should take it up with the Head Auror. You won't be able to reach him though, he's currently away from the office."

Daphne looked as though she wanted to hit Hermione. Draco felt uneasy, although he wasn't sure if it was for Daphne or Hermione. He decided it was a universal uneasiness that comes whenever two women are about to fight under your own roof. Blaise saved the day though, "You hear that Daphne. You may leave now. I will be informing the council of the situation. They will give word when anything changes."

Looking as though she'd been slapped, Daphne turned on her heel and headed toward the door, "Mark my words, Draco Malfoy, Eltanin is my son and I will get him back." With that last word, she walked out the door, slamming it behind her.

Blaise whistled, looking at the door than back at Hermione. "You're quite a spitfire."

Hermione grinned, turning to Weasley. He was standing in awe, staring at Hermione. "Bloody brilliant, you never cease to amaze me."

"Me neither," Jean said, putting her arm around Hermione's shoulder. Blaise looked at Draco and made a gagging face, then walked over to the door. "You know how I would love to stay for this," he paused and looked at the four of them, "but I've got other things I've got to do."

Draco watched him leave, then turned to Hermione. "Thank you, for taking care of that. Just out of curiosity, was any of it true?"

Hermione nodded, untangling herself from Jeanette, "The part about Eltanin being ordered to stay with you. As for the rest of it, I'm not at liberty to say. As I said, it was classified." She then turned to Weasel, a smile on her face, "You'd better take Albus back to Harry. I'm sure he's dying to see him."

Weasley nodded, "And Teddy. That's all he can talk about, Albus this, Albus that, I miss Albus. Bit annoying really."

Hermione chuckled and went to get Albus and lift the spell from Eltanin's room, Draco following behind her.

After Ron and Jeanette had left, Hermione stood in the kitchen, a glass of water in her hand. Draco sat in a chair at the table. Eltanin was taking a nap in his room, which left the nothing for the two to do. Hermione felt awkward, wanting to discuss last night but scared out of her mind to bring it up. He had been so sweet, so understanding, and she just wanted to know if it was an act.

He sat there, just staring at her, and she really didn't know what to say. The glass in her hand shook as she took a small sip. They had been sitting there for half an hour, just staring at each other, Draco with that smirk on his face, Hermione trying not to have a heart attack. It bothered her, the silence. So she decided to speak up, "Thank you for last night, you didn't have to do that."

For a split second, his face changed, a strange look going across it. She was about to ask, but she didn't get a chance to. Draco shrugged, "Don't think anything of it." He stood up, going and pulling a glass from the cabinet. He filled it with water and took a drink, while Hermione tried to find hidden meaning in his words. Why should she care anyway, it's not like he owed her anything. She looked up into his face and felt a sting in her heart. For some reason, his nonchalant attitude hurt. "Well, I'm still grateful, you really helped me through that."

She was trying to use her words, figure out what she was feeling, but it didn't make sense to her. As she looked up into his face, she noticed how close he was, and he breathing hitched. Her stomach fluttered and her heart pounded. It was a different feeling, something she had never had before. Whenever she had been with Ron, it was always so familiar, almost comfortable. She knew how Ron thought, how he would react, but with Draco, it was a mystery. The way his body moved, how close he was, she could smell him from where she stood. She would have expected some expensive cologne, but that's now what she smelled. His scent was nice, like sunshine and line-dried laundry. He moved closer to her, leaning towards her. She knew what was coming, the way he looked at her, the way he came at her. He was going to kiss her, and there's nothing she would have liked more.

Then, she heard the clink of glass in the sink. He moved back and grinned at her, "You alright Hermione?"

Hermione nodded, trying to catch her breath, "Fine."

He didn't move though, just stood there. They were closer than two feet apart, and Hermione was feeling claustrophobic. She backed up, taking her glass with her into the living room. She could hear Draco following behind her, and her stomach continued to flutter. She couldn't breathe, but it wasn't an unpleasant feeling.

"Are you sure you are alright?"

Draco voice cut through her thoughts as she sat down on the couch. Placing her glass on the table and pulling her legs up underneath her. "I'm fine, just a little light headed, that's all."

His face was creased with worry as he watched her, "Are you still worried about Weas-Ginny?"

Hermione shrugged, "Yeah, but I don't think that's what is bothering me."

Draco sat down next to her, closer than Hermione would have liked. Although she wasn't against him sitting so close, she was just confused. He reached out and rubbed her shoulder, "Then what's wrong?"

He was being so sweet, it brought tears to Hermione's eyes. Draco misinterpreted them and wrapped an arm around her, "Hey, what's going on?"

She tried to wipe away the tears, resting her head on his shoulder, "You are being so sweet."

She could feel his chuckle beneath her head, "Would you like me to stop?"

Hermione shook her head, "No, I like it. It's just…" well it was now or never, "I think I may like it too much."

Draco stiffened, pulling her head from his shoulder, "What do you me-" but he was cut off. Hermione had wrapped her arms around his neck and muffled his voice with her kiss. She had only meant it to be a simple kiss, one with no strings attached, but her body had other ideas. As soon as their lips touched, it was like a wildfire had started underneath her hands. Draco wasn't unopposed either. Once he was over the initial shock, he seemed to enjoy it as much as she was.

His arms went around her waist, pulling her up onto his lap. They fit perfectly, as though they were puzzle pieces and he was the last piece to her puzzle. As they kissed, their lips melded together, as though being forged by the fire between them. Her heart raced and blood pounded in her ears. Everything around her melted away and the only thing that mattered in the world was Draco and her.

They broke the kiss slowly, breaking off with smaller, more abrupt ones. Eventually, her pulse quieted and her breathing slowed. She was still on Draco's lap though, her head resting in the crook of his neck. It felt nice, being held like this. She felt safe, protected. It was ironic, she was supposed to be protecting him. She brought her hand up to his chest, resting on where she could feel his heartbeat. It was quick, the pu-putting calming her senses and lulling her to sleep.

* * *

Draco sat on the couch, listening to the sound of her breathing as her eyes closed and she fell asleep. Just like this morning, the sound of her breaths brought comfort to his mind. As he held her, his thoughts went to the kiss they had just shared. His stomach fluttered which as new to him. He looked down at her, a feeling of confusion overcoming his brain. He'd had women, he's always had women, but not like this. Every girl he'd ever been with just wanted him. They'd never stuck around before, at least not when they didn't want anything. Out of all of them, Draco had never had the chance to hold someone like this. Although his heart was still pumping, thoughts of his relationship with Daphne flooded back.

_The Dark Lord stood in the drawing room of the Malfoy Manor. His followers stood in a full circle, very few spaces missing. Draco stood directly in from of the snake-like wizard, the circle stretched out around him. The blood pumped in his ears, his lungs constricting from fear. The Dark Mark burned on his skin, freshly burnt on. His smile smiled at him, a look of pure bliss over his features. Draco pushed all fear to the back of his mind, forcing pride to the forefront of his actions._

"_I welcome you with open arms, my new son." The arms of The Dark Lord stretched out towards Draco, trying to lure him into a false sense of security. Draco nodded, pulling himself up to full height._

"_My Lord, it is time. The girl is ready." His mother stood next to his father, tears running down her face. She was such a wonderful actress that only he knew the tears were of sorrow, not of joy._

_A scream echoed from the cellar. Draco looked around, searching for the source of the yell. Professor Snape walked out of the cellar, a young girl pulling on his arm. Draco didn't understand, what role could she possibly play. Trying to comprehend, he looked back at the Dark Lord. The evil wizard cackled, his laugh filling Draco's ears. Snape threw the girl at Draco's feet, her face a shadow of fear. Her face was scratched up and her lips were swollen. He almost reached out his hand to her, but Draco was not one to forget where he was. "My Lord?"_

"_Draco, I have given you a gift for joining my ranks. She is now your servant, to do with her as you please." The innuendo in his voice was clear, and Draco nodded, faking a smile. He grabbed her clothes, about to pull her up, when he felt a hand on his arm. Draco looked up, the Dark Lord's wand extended towards him, "I wish for you to use my gift now. I'd like to know my gift is put to good use."_

_Draco heart clutched, this wasn't what he had in mind. He stared into those snake eyes, which were lit in amusement. He wanted to say something, but the Dark Lord knew what he was thinking, "Private? You may have her later in private, I wish for you to use her NOW!" _

_Draco felt something push him to the floor, on top of the girl. Tears streamed down her face as Draco started what he knew the Dark Lord wanted. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear, "Close your eyes and imagine you are somewhere else."_

_She did as he said, tears leaking down the sides of her face as Draco started with the worst memory of his life._

Hermione stirred, pulling Draco out of his trance. "Ron?" he heard her whisper. A sliver of pain crossed his heart, slicing it up. He listened to her, feeling her shake her head. He held his breath, trying to find the best way to put her down. His arms rested underneath her head and legs, standing up from where he was. "You're not Ron." He placed her down, his heart breaking in half. He had to take a steadying breath to keep calm. He tried to tell himself that he shouldn't have expected anything else, but he couldn't help it. A part of him wished it was his name she whispered on the edge of sleep, but no use crying over spilled milk.

Whenever he had put her down and let go of her, he heard her breathing hitch, "Draco, please don't leave." He looked down at her, his head cocked to the side. She was clearly still asleep. The pain in his chest receded, knowing he was somewhere in her dreams. He reached down, brushing a curl out of her face. "Please stay, if you leave Ron will come back."

Confusion creased Draco forehead, that couldn't be right. He sat down in the floor, next to her head, "I'm here."

A sigh escaped her lips as she settled into the couch. He smiled, brushing another curl out of her face. He stood up, knowing he should go and check on his son, but he couldn't help looking back at her.

Eltanin was asleep in his bed, a smile across his face. Walking across the room, Draco grabbed a small chair and sat next to Elt's bed. The boy looked like a small angel, lying on a cloud. A smile stretched across Draco's face as he leaned down and kissed the little boy's forehead. His life was pretty good right now

* * *

Hermione awoke the next morning to the smell of Bacon and Eggs. She could hear the sizzle of bacon in the pan as someone cooked on the stove. As she opened her eyes, her heart jumped at the sight of a small boy's face directly in front of hers. "Good Morning, Miss 'Mione."

Hermione put her hand over her heart, which was racing, "Good Morning Elt."

Eltanin grinned, a blush coming over his lips. He stood up quickly and ran off into the kitchen. Hermione laughed and stood, stretching. She turned to smile at Draco and was met with a pleasant surprise. Jeanette was at the stove, a music player in her ears. She was singing to one of her American musicals as she flipping over the pieces of bacon. Hermione laughed, shaking her head. Jean seemed to hear her and turned toward Hermione. She pointed at Hermione, then at the coffee table behind her. Hermione turned and noticed a pile of clothes behind her. She picked up the pile and smiled at the t-shirt and jeans in her hands, not to mention the lacy underwear hidden inside of the pocket of her jeans. Shaking her head, Hermione went into the kitchen. Ron walked down the hallway, stuffing his wand in his jeans. "Good Morning 'Mione."

Hermione smiled guiltily at him and hid her clothes behind her back. "Hi Ron."

Ron stopped mid-step, a curious expression on his face, "What have you got there?"

Hermione shrugged, holding her clothes in front of her. Thank god he couldn't see the underwear, "Just my clothes."

"Well Bloody He-"

Jeanette had turned around and was pointing her spatula at Ron, "Watch your language."

Eltanin laughed, pointing at Ron, "You got in trouble."

Ron stuck his tongue out, baiting the young boy who had baited him. Hermione chuckled, looking over at Jean. "Where is Draco?"

Jeanette pointed towards his bedroom, "He's working. Old Malfoy Senior sent him an owl full of paperwork this morning."

Hermione nodded, passing Ron, who was still arguing with Eltanin at the table. Draco's door was cracked, and Hermione could just see him leaned over his desk. The muscles in his neck were taunt, his fingers rubbing his temples. She used her knuckle to rap on the door. Draco jumped about a foot in the air before looking up at her. He took a moment to recognize her, but finally he did. "Hermione, Hi. What did you need?"

Hermione shrugged, "I was wondering if I could use your shower. Jeanette and I think it would be best if we both stay."

Draco nodded, looking back down at his papers, "Oh, sure, please help yourself."

Hermione smiled, "Thanks."

The shower was refreshing, the steamy shower doing everything it was intended for. The muscles in her back were knotted from sleeping on the couch, and the water eased them in a more comfortable position. She didn't take a long shower, afraid of using up all the hot water, but she enjoyed it all the same. Whenever she stepped out, her hand reached out and grasped her wand. It took only 5 minutes to completely dry herself off, then she went to work on her hair. It took a multitude of spells to flatten and straighten her brunette locks.

After another 15 minutes, Hermione emerged from the bathroom, feeling quite refreshed. There was no way to beat the way a shower made you feel, then she thought of the way Draco had kissed her the night before, which could possibly trump a hot shower.

Hermione walked into the kitchen, sticking her dirty clothes next to her purse. Draco was now sitting at the table with Elt and Jean, eating the breakfast that her best friend had made. Ron was standing next to the sink, a plate of his own in his hands. Hermione laughed inwardly, finding it funny that not even his former enemy's kitchen could keep him from food. An untouched plate of food sat at the last empty chair at the table. She could just see Eltanin's leg underneath the table, swinging back and forth.

Draco looked up at her, a quizzical look on his face. She had been standing there for longer than necessary. Smiling at him, she walked over to the extra chair. Jeanette grinned, watching as Hermione started on the eggs. She always takes care of Hermione, and Hermione wouldn't have it any other way. Draco grinned at her, causing her face to blush. She was afraid Ron would notice, so she focused on her food. She heard a small chuckle escape the blonde haired beauty's lips.

Risking a look at Ron, she noticed his ears had turned red. She instantly felt guilty. His plate clattered in the sink as he strode out. Eltanin looked at each of the three adults, "What happened?"

Jeanette just shook her head and patted Eltanin's hand, "He's just being a baby."

Eltanin nodded, getting back to his food, but Draco was watching Hermione. His face was concerned as he finished his meal. Tears wanted to fall from Hermione's eyes, but she kept herself together. She knew how to do that. Jeanette finished her meal at the same time Eltanin did, which was good for Hermione. Jean lifted Elt's plate from the table and sat both his and hers in the sink. Then, leading him to his room, she told him that they were going to play a board game. The look she gave Hermione said, _we'll talk later._

Whenever the other two were out of earshot, Draco took Hermione's hand. She hadn't realized how much she was shaking until his steady hand and grasped hers. "Hermione, are you ok?"

Hermione shook her head, setting down her fork, "I keep telling myself I'm over him, but then something like that happens and my heart tears in half." As if to prove her point, a sharp pain in her chest caused her to take a steadying breath. Her face must have shown her pain because Draco stood up and pulled her to her feet. She buried her face in his chest, holding in any tears she would want to shed. He wrapped his arms around her, shushing her.

"It must be the stress," she muttered, tears pooling over even though she didn't want them too. It took her a few seconds to get a hold of herself, but she was able to stop crying. "I'll be okay, you should get back to work, I think I'm going to see Ginny in the hospital then I'll come right back."

Draco nodded, rubbing her back, "Be careful."

Hermione nodded, grabbing her wand and kissing Draco on the cheek. It was a knee-jerk reaction, so Hermione drew back, stunned. They hadn't even talked about the night before, she had no right to do that.

Instead of acting surprised, Draco touched her cheek with his finger, smiling a beautiful crooked smile. He didn't seem troubled at all by her outburst. A blush crept to her cheeks as she drew back, "I'll be back."

Draco nodded, using his hand to turn her away, "Tell Potter I'm sorry about Ginny."

Hermione nodded, apparating away.

* * *

The Hospital was full when Hermione made her way through the entrance doors. The older nurse at the desk smiled and sat her pencil down, "How may I help you Ms. Granger?"

Hermione didn't even care to ask how the woman knew her name, and instead answered her, "I'm looking for the room of Ginny Potter."

The nurse nodded, pointing towards the elevator, "Floor five sugar."

Hermione glanced around at the many people crowding the waiting room. There was a little girl who looked as though she were spouting scales all along her body. Her father was holding her on his lap, patting her gently on the arm. Hermione smiled at them as she went around the corner to the elevators.

It only took her a minute to get up to the fifth floor, but her heart pounded as she waited for the doors to open. As she stepped through the entryway, her heart jumped into her throat as she saw Harry in the waiting room. He had his head in his hands and his body was stiff. His shoulders were shaking slightly, but she doubted anyone but her could see it. A part of her mind knew he wanted to be alone, but it broke Hermione In two as she watched her best friend suffer. He had always been there for her, and now it was her turn to be there for him.

As though he could sense her gaze, Harry looked up and leaned back in his chair. His eyes were red-rimmed, but he smiled at her. Hermione smiled back, walking over and sitting down next to him. She slipped her hand in his and he squeezed back. "Thanks Hermione."

Hermione shook her head, "You don't have to thank me for anything."

That was all that was said for a while. Neither one felt like they should break the silence. It had been a good thirty minutes when a small voice came from behind them, "Daddy, the healer needs to talk to you."

Hermione looked at Harry, measuring his expression. Seeing his face, she knew he couldn't do this alone, "Come on Harry, I'll be with you."

Harry nodded, standing up and releasing Hermione's hand to pick up Albus. Keeping close, Hermione followed him through a door she assumed was Ginny's.

The inside of the room was spotless, every surface gleamed white. It seemed a bit too clean, at least to Hermione. She avoided the bed in the middle of the room until last. When she saw her friend, her heart stopped, restarting the moment after. Ginny's eyes were closed, a peaceful smile on her face. Her chest rose and fell with easy breaths and her hands twitched every now and then. The healer was talking to Harry, but before this moment, she hadn't been listening.

"-an improvement on her condition. She's beginning to react to the medicine we have been giving her. She's been muttering your name, along with Teddy and Albus' name."

Harry walked over to his wife's bed, a grin spreading across his face. "Ginny, baby. Can you hear me? I love you."

A second later, Teddy walked through the door behind her. "Hi Ms. Hermione. Mommy is going to be just fine, I know it." With that, he walked past her and sat down on his mother's bed. Hermione walked over to the other side, taking Ginny's other hand. "Ginny, we're all waiting for you. We miss you, there is no one to keep Harry on his leash." Harry smiled, not taking his eyes off of Ginny's face, "You know that's not true Honey."

Ginny's fingers twitched, wrapping themselves tightly around Hermione's hand. She looked over at Harry's hand and was happy to see the same was happening to him. He seemed anxious as she slowly made her way back to consciousness. "Ginny, come back, we need you."

"Hermione's right, there's nothing without you."

As they spoke, Ginny's face became more animated, her eyes fluttering open, "Harry."

Harry sat Albus down on the floor, taking his hand and curving it to her face, "I'm here baby."

"Harry, I-I-"

"It's ok. You don't have to say anything, down strain yourself."

Hermione touched Ginny's arm, "Thank God," she whispered to herself.

* * *

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Nothing really exciting, mostly because I figured you guys needed a feel-good chapter. I'll get the next one out as soon as possible.

Always Remember to Love,

Until We Meet Again,

Ms. Darcy


	6. Taken Away

_I do not own anything in the Harry Potter universe. Those all belong to The Beautiful JK Rowling. I'm just borrowing her characters to make a story of my own. I hope you all enjoy._

_Also, this story is mine, as are any new characters that I introduce. Please do not steal them._

_And now back to our feature

* * *

_

Chapter 6

_Taken Away_

The next day, Hermione sat in her apartment, a pile of papers spread out on her coffee table. Each piece of paper had a different picture on it, and they were all moving. The people in the photos all held the same scowl, depressing and angry. Hermione rubbed her temples as she looked over a particularly long piece of parchment, which was filled with information about a man whose name came up numerous times while she was in training.

"Rayne Mellow," she read, "last spotted in muggle London. 21 years old, graduated from Drumstrang Academy. Known friend of Victor Krum. No Dark Mark. On the run for assault, murder, and torture of local muggles." Hermione sighed as she sat down the information and rubbed her temples. Before she had left the hospital, Harry had handed her an entire portfolio of possible suspects, and she had spent the entire night going over criminals ranging from shoplifters to murderers. Harry hadn't narrowed down any suspects; he just pulled together every criminal record he could find in his office to give her something to do.

As she sighed and picked up another shorter piece of parchment, her doorbell rang. She stood up and groaned, looking at the clock. It was seven in the morning, there was no one who would be calling at this time. She roughly jerked the door open, "What?" Her voice was dripped with annoyance. There in front of her stood Ron, his red hair was messed up and his face was angry, "What the hell Hermione?"

Hermione was taken aback, which kept her speechless for a moment. She had to steady herself before she answered, "Good morning to you too, what's wrong Ron?"

If it was possible, Ron's face grew darker, "Malfoy?" The name was not a statement, but meant as a question, and obviously not rhetorical.

Hermione's brow furrowed, "What about him?"

"Don't act stupid."

Anger flushed in Hermione's face, and she backed up, "I don't know what you're talking about, but I want you to leave." He did the exact opposite and walked past her, standing in her kitchen. His arms were crossed over his chest and he stared at her. "Ron, you are overreacting."

Ron shook his head, "Don't you dare tell me I'm overreacting. While my sister was in the hospital, almost dead, you went and shacked up with my enemy."

Hermione gave an exasperated sigh, "I didn't shack up with anyone."

"You're lying to me."

"No I'm not." Hermione had enough, she motioned towards the door, "Ron, please leave."

Ron shook his head, "I want to know what's going on. I don't appro-"

Hermione let out a long breath, trying to keep herself calm. One of them had to be an adult, and it certainly wasn't going to be Ron. Finally, she shook her head, "Ron, you lost all say in who I'm with when you walked out my door."

Ron looked like a balloon that lost its air. It was as though he had lost his fight. He dropped his arms, giving up. As she motioned towards the door, Ron turned on the place and was gone. A wave of guilt flooded Hermione. He may be a git that left her, but he was still her best friend.

"Why, hello there."

Hermione went cold as she turned around. A figure in a black cloak stood outside of her door. His face was covered by the most grotesque mask she had ever seen. Her hand automatically went to her hip for her wand, which wasn't there. Panic spread through her as she searched her pockets for her wand. Without it, she couldn't do much against this guy. He was tall, almost a foot over her head, but with that cloak, Hermione couldn't tell anything else. Her wand arm felt strangely cold, as though it were missing something.

Frantic to find her wand, Hermione looked behind her, realizing her wand was lying next to the papers scattered over the tabletop. Slowly, she turned back to her intruder and held up her hands, "What do you want?"

The figure just laughed, examining her doorway, "I'd like you to invite me in, if that's too much to ask?"

Hermione blinked, stepping back. His wand followed her, but he didn't move, "And if I don't?"

The wand twitched and her eyes flickered back to his mask, "I'll have no choice but to force my way in." He inched forward, stepping through the doorway. Hermione didn't try and stop him; she'd rather him be in her house than hurt an innocent. As he advanced on her, she tried to back up towards her wand. It was only three feet away now, as long as she could keep him preoccupied. As he stood there, his eyes left hers and scanned the room. She seized these moments to inch towards her wand. If she could just get her hands on it she would be able to apparate away. Of course that wasn't what she would actually do, but it'd be what Harry wanted her to do. As she moved another inch, the man noticed what she was doing, and flicked his wand at her. Hermione felt her feet stop moving as she lost all feeling in her arms and legs. He hadn't uttered a single word, but yet she felt like she was silly putty. She waited for her body to collapse, but was surprised when she stayed upright. Looking up at her assailant, she felt tears prickle at the back of her eyes, "Why are you doing this?"

The man shook his head, making his way around to the table and picking up her wand. She watched him observe it awkwardly then snap it in half with one hand. "It's Quite a delicate wood, almost like you, Hermione. You look just as fragile." Hermione's heart sped up as she watched her destroyed wand fall onto the floor. It was hopeless now, she had never had much luck in the defending herself with fists department, "What are you going to do?"

The man clicked his tongue, wagging a finger at her, "Now if I told you, where would all the fun be." Hermione shivered, holding back the bile that was forming in her throat. She wanted to make a run for it, but she was unable to make her limbs do what she wanted. They stayed stiffly in place, refusing to allow her rule over them. "What did you do to me?"

"You ask so many questions," the masked figure said, coming over and running a finger along her cheek, "What a beautiful face, you must get it from your mother."

Hermione's blood went cold, how would he know her mother. That is, unless he had met her before. As far as Hermione knew, the Weasley's were the only wizards her parents knew. She stared at the man and he began to laugh.

"Her screams were quite entertaining, actually," he twirled his wand and Hermione felt herself get pulled into a fully body bind. The strange thing was, she still had the ability over her mouth. "You bast-"

"Ah, ah ah, we can't have that sort of language. Don't worry, I made sure to take good care of your mother before we disposed of her."

The chill that had settled in Hermione suddenly became colder, "Disposed of her?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

Hermione knew the answer to that, it was no. She couldn't bear the thought of something happening to her parents. Instead, she tried a safer question, "What are you doing here?"

"Delivering a message," the man said as he grabbed her neck. Pulling her upright, he placed his wand to her head. A spell was muttered under his breath, but behind the mask he was much too quiet. Then, as though she had been hit on the back of the head, blackness surrounded Hermione.

* * *

Draco was pacing the kitchen as Harry sat at his table. Hermione's wand lay between them as they stared at each other. Neither could say anything, they were too worried. Hermione had disappeared and no one knew what happened. Ron had been the last person to talk to her, but the last he knew, she had been standing in her apartment. They had fought, but that was no reason for Hermione to disappear. _ Besides,_ Draco thought, _if she were upset, she would come here._

Eltanin was in the living room playing with Jean, but that was beginning to bore him. He had been asking for "Ms. Hermione" and no one had the guts to tell him she was missing. Elt was only four years old; this was not something he needed to hear. So Harry had explained to the little boy that Hermione was sick and wouldn't be coming over. It had satisfied him for the moment, but Draco knew his son all too well. It wouldn't be long before he started to throw a fit in order to get his way.

Abruptly, Potter stood up and walked to the door. Draco's hand reached out and rested on his shoulder, "Where are you going?"

"To find her," he answered. Draco shook his head and his grasp tightened, "You've got your best Aurors on it, you should go home."

Potter shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck. His eyes closed as he did so, "I can't. Ginny would be furious."

Draco sighed, a nagging feeling entering the pit of his stomach. He felt as though something was going to go wrong, very wrong. His eyes tightened as he took in the man standing before him. He had changed since Hogwarts. In Hogwarts, he had been arrogant, stubborn, and thought he was better than Draco. The man standing in front of him, though, was none of those things. The war had changed him in many ways. He was no longer arrogant, but humble. Though he was still stubborn, there was a maturity about Potter that not many men his age hold. For the first time, though, he looked truly old. "It's going to be alright, Hermione is a smart witch," Draco tried to comfort him, also attempting to convince himself.

After he said this, Draco looked over at his son, a small smile reaching his lips. He knew it didn't reach his eyes though. Eltanin would be safe with Harry and Ginny. He had the feeling that deatheaters were behind Hermione's disappearance; it would take a former deatheater to find them. They weren't after Hermione, they were after him. He had to help her; Draco couldn't bear if she were hurt because of him.

Then his son looked up at him, the perfect face of innocence. How could he even be considering leaving his son to find a girl who he used to hate? She was an insufferable know-it-all, who still got on his nerves. Of course, she was a beautiful know-it-all, who had kissed him and melted his heart. Eltanin loved her. He would be devastated if he found out she was never coming back. The little boy would never forgive him.

"Malfoy, are you there?"

Draco blinked as Potter's hand passed in front of his face. He looked a bit concerned, but Draco was finally making up his mind. Elt would be safer with Harry, especially if Jean went with them. Draco could join the Auror's in finding Hermione, hopefully giving them an edge. All deatheaters feared Potter, being the one to take down The Dark Lord.

Draco sighed, "No, I'm not. I have an idea, but you have to promise me that you will go home."

Potter shook his head, "I can't do that. I need to be out there, helping to look for her. She's my best friend, I can't lose her."

Draco nodded, "I know what you mean. Look, I think I can help. I know how these type of men think; I used to be one of them." Draco's anger rose as Potter's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What is it now?"

The raven-haired man crossed his arms, "I'm not going to trust you. Look, I understand that you've changed, and I respect that, but I'm not putting Hermione's life in your hands. She's too important to me."

Draco's brow creased in confusion, "What does that have to do with me? Why don't you trust me?"

Potter raised his hand to stop him from arguing, "You used to be one of them. I'm not sending a former deatheater to track these men. I'm still not completely sure about you."

Draco took a deep breath, keeping himself calm. From the corner of his eye, he noticed that Jean had stood up, her wand in her hand. He couldn't see Elt, but he hoped his son wasn't watching this. "I have done everything I could to clear my family's name. I gave up the name and location of every deatheater that went into hiding. I gave up my father to you, choosing the greater good over him. Just because he got off doesn't mean I didn't make a sacrifice. He hates me because of it."

He looked over to find Eltanin, but Jean shook her head, pointing towards the hallway, "And I'm leaving my son in your hands to protect. If I were going to betray you, I would not let my son go with you."

Potter looked taken aback, losing all his composure. "Are you sure about that Malfoy?"

Draco nodded, "If I lost Hermione, I could never face my son again. He'll be safest with you, especially if Jean accompanies you." Jean nodded, coming to stand beside Draco. Since Potter had started the protection plan, Draco and Jean had bonded considerably. She had become a friend, and he knew she would stand next to him. Jean touched Potter's shoulder, a smile on her face, "It's a great idea."

Potter shook his head, "I still don't know. I don't want to sit around and wait for the news."

Draco nodded, looking over to Jean, "Then Potter will come with me. Ginny is getting stronger, and she's always been frightening with her Bat-Bogey Hex," Potter's lips quirked up, causing Draco to grin also, "I'm sure you and Ginny would do perfectly fine. There are already extra precautions in place anyway."

This time, Potter nodded, "That's a great idea. I'm sure with the both of us trying to find her, it shouldn't be too difficult."

Jean smiled, clapping them both on the back, "See what happens when you compromise, everyone is happy."

* * *

Pain shot through Hermione's head as she opened her eyes. Her entire body ached as she looked around. The room was dark and it was impossible to see anything. It was as though someone had placed a blindfold over her eyes, but she didn't feel any cloth. Her heart pounded as she willed her eyes to adjust, but the darkness didn't fade at all.

"Help me," she said, quietly at first. It wasn't really a cry for help, she just wanted to know if anyone else was in the room. No one answered her plea, but she did not relax at all. She tried to move her arms, but they were tied behind her back. She used her fingers to feel what she was sitting on. It felt like she was on a steel chair. Her wrists were held together by bands of metal that prohibited her from adjusting. She moved her legs, but her ankles were tied in a similar fashion.

"Is anyone out there?" she asked, a bit louder than before.

"Yes dear, there is." Hermione shivered as the voice penetrated her body. The voice was the same voice she had heard underneath the mask in her apartment. It was rough and low. The timbre of his voice was light though, as though he were faking his voice.

"Who are you?"

"Hermione?" A small voice answered her question with a question of their own. All of the breath was knocked out of Hermione as she recognized the voice, "Mother?" Hermione had believed her dead, but she was still alive. She had to get to her.

"What's going on?" Mrs. Granger's voice was frightened. Her voice was cut off by a muffled sound.

Then, Hermione felt her heart split as her mother screamed in pain. "Leave her alone! She didn't do anything to you!"

Then, just as suddenly, the screaming ceased. Hermione thought the silence would be better, but it wasn't. She felt herself panicking, worrying whether her mother was still alive. Then, relief flooded her as she heard the rattling breath of her mother crying. "It's going to be alright," she tried to comfort her.

"I could do that again, if you like," Hermione struggled in her seat, trying to get free, "but I need something from you."

Hermione stopped struggling, her breath coming in short spurts, "What?"

"I need the boy."

Hermione's blood felt like ice as she thought of Eltanin, "No."

Screams ripped at her ears, and Hermione starting crying, "Please." Sobs wrecked her body as she struggled once again to get free.

"Bring me the boy."

Hermione shook her head, though she knew he couldn't see her. It was completely dark in the room. "I can't. He's only a bo-"

Once again, her mother's screams filled the room. This time, the screaming didn't stop. Hermione sobbed at her mother's cries for help. "I can't. I'm sorry mum, I can't."

The screaming began to recede, turning into whimpers. Hermione took her chance to explain, "He's only four, I can't let this man kill him." Her voice broke on the last word and she was once again sobbing.

Her mother's voice filled her ears though, "It's alright honey. Please don't cry. I understand darli-" but she was cut off once again.

Hermione couldn't take her mother's torture, "Take me. Do it to me. Please just leave her alone."

Pain coursed through her body as she felt the effects of the curse. Her mother's scream were replaced by her own. A hard chuckle came from right next to her as she writhed in pain, restricted by the cuffs. "I bet you regret asking for torture now."

At these words, Hermione clamped her mouth shut. She would not give this man the satisfaction of causing her pain. Instead, she closed her eyes and focused on something else, someone else. It should have surprised her that the blond-haired man was who popped into her head. His smiling face was all she could see as she endured the curse. She allowed her mind to wander, trying to find a happy place. The pain still distracted her, but by thinking of Draco, she was able to keep herself in check.

Tears streamed down her face as she saw his face in her mind's eye, then Eltanin popped into view. There they stood, side-by-side, looking at Hermione like she was their world. She found herself imagining life with them, happy and content. How she would spend her days with Elt, teaching him anything and everything she knew. Then the nights with Draco, laying and talking for hours.

Then, the pain increased in volume, breaking through her solid wall. Screams left her body as she felt the chair being lifted from the ground. A low growl was coming from beside her. "I knew you were acting."

Suddenly though, the pain stopped, "I suppose I don't need your mother anymore."

Hermione gasped, "Just let her go, please."

"Will you bring me the boy?" The voice sounded hopeful.

Hermione paused, the image she had conjured returning to her mind. "I can't, I'm sorry."

The voice tisked, then it exclaimed, "Avada Kedavra."

Her mother's scream was only brief, and then a small thump on the floor confirmed Hermione's worst fear.

"Tomorrow we will try your father."

* * *

"Look Malfoy, I know you want to get going, but give me a moment."

Draco was standing in Potter's office, quickly pacing back and forth. "I just want to find her. Every minute we stall is another moment that she could be dead."

Potter stopped going through files and looked up at him, a look of fury on his face, "Don't you think I know that! She could already be dead and it's killing me. We need a place to start."

"Thank God you guys haven't left." Weasley came running into the office, his face flushed. "Hermione's parents are missing. That's where I've been all day. I went north to try and speak with her parents and I was met with Muggle police. It took me all morning to straighten it out."

Potter came around the desk, holding a loose file in his hands, "When did they go missing?"

"The police said they weren't sure, but I was able to get inside and do a sweep of the house. Those badges you arranged were quite helpful."

Potter nodded, "It's important for the muggle police to recognize our authority."

Draco hadn't been listening; he had been going through the files that Potter handed him. The first file actually surprised him, "Daphne?" he asked, oblivious to the men's conversations.

Potter turned and nodded, "You'd be surprised by the extent of her criminal record. None of it is magical though."

Draco looked through the file, reading through her various crimes. Mostly misdemeanors, he was surprised by the extent of her teenage rebellion. His father had tried to gather any information from her, but he had missed this. Assault, theft, public nudity, even two attempted unpressed murder charges were only a few. Draco was still confused, but Weasley answered his question, "It's almost always someone you don't expect, so we've been keeping our options open."

With a shake of his head, Draco handed the files back and sighed, "What else have you found out?"

The red-head shook his head, "Her parents are missing, and there was definitely a magical struggle. I found scorch marks on the wall, resembling those of The Killing Curse."

Potter nodded, "We've got to find her quick."

Weasley's face went red as he walked out the door with Draco and Potter, "We have to find her Harry. If I don't-" he broke off, rubbing his eyes with his hands, "I said some stuff to her I wish I hadn't."

Draco stopped in his tracks, "What did you say?"

Potter sighed, "Malfoy, we don't have time for that right now."

Draco shook his head, "No it's important. What did you say to her?"

Weasley's face flushed even darker, and Draco's brow furrowed, "What?"

"I told her I didn't approve of, well you two."

Draco shook his head, "What do you mean the two of us?"

Anger flashed through the red-haired man's eyes, "That fact that she's sleeping around with an arse."

Potter stopped him from going on, because Draco had advanced on Weasley, "What the hell did you do?"

"Malfoy, he said he regrets it. Right now we need to be focused on finding Hermione. How could this be helping at all?"

Draco nodded, taking a calming breath, "It doesn't. I thought maybe it would, but it doesn't."

Dropping the subject, Draco tried to think of a solid place to start. His mind was muddled with the thoughts of what Hermione must be going through. She had to have been upset before she was taken, and now her situation hasn't improved any. His worry increased as he went over a game-plan. "I have a feeling that Deatheaters are behind this. It could possibly be someone who wants to rise to power like The Dark Lord."

Potter nodded his approval, "But where do we start?"

Malfoy checked his watch and stopped the two men, "The Malfoy Manor, that's the best place. We have a record of all the hideouts that were used during the Second War. I was able to use some of the information to pass to Dumbledore before he died."

Potter narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean, pass to him before he died? You were planning on killing him."

Draco realized his mistake, and backtracked, "That doesn't matter. Look, I know where to find a record of every hiding place. I'm sure that's where whoever it is will be."

Weasley nodded, "Let's go."

Draco raised his eyebrow, "I think you've done enough."

"I'm coming. Just because Hermione and I aren't on good terms doesn't mean I'm going to let anything happen to her. We may not be together anymore, but she's still my best friend. We've been through a lot and I'm not going to let you stop me."

Potter sighed, putting himself between the two men, "Let's go, now."

The Malfoy manor was silent as Draco opened the door. It wasn't strange to him though, his family had always been cold, so silence was welcoming to him. As they walked farther into the house though, the hairs on Draco's arm stands on end. He looked around the entryway, trying to figure out what was different. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something was definitely wrong. Reaching into his back pocket, Draco pulled out his wand. Potter looked at him and echoed his actions, motioning for Ron to do the same.

Leading the way up the stairs, Draco headed straight towards his father's office. The filing cabinets in that office held all the information Lucius Malfoy kept safe for The Dark Lord. The uneasy feeling that had filled Draco when he walked into the house continued to eat at the back of his mind. Something was wrong, but he just couldn't put his finger on it, "We've got to hurry."

Potter fell into step with Draco as they walked along the vast hallways, "Why are you on edge? Are you and your parents on bad terms?"

Draco shook his head, "Something doesn't feel right."

Potter nodded, "I feel the same way. I figured it was just because I was walking into your house, but I must have been wrong."

They continued walking until they reached a set of double doors. They were a deep green color and embroidered with snakes. Draco reached out and turned the snake-head door handle, pushing both doors at the same time. Potter was examining the door when he shook his head again, "You Malfoy's are very proud."

"Damn right," Draco joked, a smile creeping up to his face. "We know quality."

The filing cabinets were all in a row behind the large mahogany desk. The walls were lined with rows of bookshelves, all filled with various magical and muggle books. Draco walked forward and opened the second cabinet on the left. Weasley began looking through the books on the walls, "Hermione would love this."

Potter nodded, standing next to him. Addressing Draco, Potter pulled down an old copy of War and Peace, "I never figured your father would have anything related to muggles."

Draco nodded, bring the small folder over to the two, "It was the only place he tolerated muggles. It was his own little way of saying he cared."

Potter took the files from Draco, leafing through them slowly, "Wow, the order never knew about any of these places."

"My father was good at his job."

"Apparently."

Weasley had pulled down a particularly small book entitled _Easy chores for your first house-elf._

Draco stared at the cover for a few moments, trying to figure out why this book was significant. He had been trying to figure out what was wrong the moment he had felt uneasy, but it wasn't until this moment that he actually knew what was wrong. "House-elves," he said simply, walking out of the library.

He could sense Weasley and Potter following him, but he ignored them. Looking around, he went straight to the kitchen to find Winna, the head elf. She would know why the house-elves were not doing their jobs like they were supposed to. Lucius would always make the house-elves work slowly, wanting guests to see how vast his collection was. It wasn't right for the house-elves to be hiding, something was wrong.

As he walked into the dining room, Draco turned to Potter and Weasley, "Something is wrong."

Weasley nodded, "I knew that."

Potter pointed his wand in the direction of the kitchen, "I'll go in here, you go that way. Ron, poke around in here."

All three nodded and went their separate ways. Draco turned a corner and went down a long hallway, heading into the first sitting room. Before he turned the corner, Draco glanced into the library first, before turning to examine small room.

There was no need to examine the room though, because what was wrong was obvious. His mother and father were lying across the floor, their eyes open in blatant surprise. The surprise they held was lifeless. It was only a ghost of their emotions.

"Mom, Father?" Draco walked slowly into the room, opening and closing his eyes. Part of him was hoping he was only seeing the scene before him, but another voice told him this was true. Without thinking, he called out to Winna. She appeared with a small pop and bowed deeply, "Master Malfoy, how may I assist you?"

Draco turned on her, sinking to his knee and pulling her close to his face, "What happened," he hissed, his words barely above a whisper. Winna hesitated, looking around the room for help, "I can't tell you Master Draco."

Draco stood up, bringing the house-elf with him, "What do you mean you can't tell me?" His voice rose with his anger, alerting Potter and Weasley. He could hear their footsteps growing closer, "Malfoy?"

He ignored them though, focusing on Winna, who was crying loudly, "I is not supposed to tell. Mistress Narcissa made me promise, sir. She made me promise."

Draco's hands loosened and he lowered the scared little creature to the floor. His mother had known something would happen, and she didn't tell anyone. Potter walked around the corner with Weasel on his tale, but stopped whenever he saw what Draco saw. Draco dropped to his knees next to his parents, lifting his mother's hand and holding it. It was cold, as if she had been lying there for hours, maybe days. "Winna when did this happen?"

Winna perked up, happy to be pleasing Draco, "Master Draco, I is able to tell that. Mean men came yesterday. Mistress was able to warn Winna, who was told to hide the house-elves. That is all I can tell you."

Potter bent down next to Draco, placing a hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry, mate."

Draco hung his head, tears springing to his eyes. It was only a moment though, because Draco knew Malfoy's didn't cry. That's what his father always reminded him of. He looked down into his father's eyes, forever frozen in surprise, and thought about Hermione. His heart almost stopped beating at the thought of finding her like this, stripped of a life that wasn't done living. "We've got to find Hermione," he said, standing up abruptly. Potter took his time standing up, looking down upon Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. Draco didn't feel like talking, but Potter insisted, "I know I never liked them, but no one deserves this."

Weasley nodded, now standing next to his best mate, "It's cruel."

Draco turned and walked out of the room, "Well let's make sure Hermione doesn't suffer the same fate." They weren't following him, so Draco was forced to look into the room again. Just as before, his bones rattled at the sight of his father and mother. There death was his fault, and he had to fix it. "We should go. We've got what we were looking for."

Potter was writing on a small piece of parchment with a quill, then used his wand to make it disappear. He looked up expectantly at Draco, "I've informed Kingsley of this and he will come and fetch them. He'll take good care of them and keep this quiet."

Draco nodded, leaving the room as his stomach began to heave. It was all so unreal, but reality all the same. He couldn't bear to be in this house any longer than necessary. He wasn't sure he would ever return.

* * *

_So I know you guys are proud of me, because I got another chapter out and it didn't take me forever. I hope you enjoyed it and don't forget to review._

_Always Remember to Love,_

_Until We Meet Again,_

_Ms. Darcy_


	7. Finding a Way Back Home

Chapter 7  
_Finding a Way Back Home_

As horror movies go, Hermione felt like she was right in the center of one. Her father's screams had stopped hours ago, but she could still hear the echo of them in her head. Her stomach heaved as she imagined the scene that must be laid out before her. Her father and mother, both dead, lying at her feet, are was too much to bear. Her arms throbbed in pain, still unable to be moved. Up until recently, she was making herself feel better by giving herself the illusion that someone would come to save her. She couldn't have been missing for long, but at least Harry would have noticed she was missing, _and Draco_. The thought betrayed her, making the hopelessness sink in. "No one is going to find me," she told herself, believing she was alone.

A small voice surprised her though, coming from behind her. "Miss Hermione will be okay, Tinky will make sure of it. Tinky has food for Miss if Miss is hungry."

Hermione almost sobbed in relief, feeling better knowing that someone in the house cared. Her eyes, still blind, turned to where she had heard the voice, "Thank you Tinky, I would like that very much." Tears ran down her face as she tried to pull her vision back, wanting to see the little house-elf.

"Why is Miss crying?" Tinky asked, unable to stop herself. Hermione was about to answer when she heard banging and grunts of pain. Hermione tried to stand up, to get to the house-elf, but it was no use. Instead, she tried to comfort her, "It's ok Tinky, I don't mind. I-" she stopped, not sure how to finish the sentence. Wasn't it obvious why she was crying? Hermione was stuck in a prison being tortured. A harsh tone rose on her tongue, but she forced her anger back. It wasn't Tinky's fault that she was here. "I miss my friends."

A pair of small hands touched her face, forcing her to jerk back. "Tinky is sorry Miss; Tinky just wanted you to know where the food was. Tinky is not allowed to untie miss."

Hermione nodded, opening her mouth. Why she trusted this creature, she didn't know. Instead of brooding over the fact that she could be poisoned, Hermione accepted the food graciously. She ate quickly, trying to get back to asking questions, but Tinky seemed to want to avoid questions. Every time she would open her mouth to speak, the little elf would stick another piece of bread into her mouth.

Once the food was gone, Hermione smiled, "Thank you Tinky."

"You is very welcome Miss."

Hermione closed her eyes, though it made no difference, and tried to think. "Tinky, why am I here?"

No answer came from the little Elf and Hermione sighed. Being left alone seemed like a torture in itself. Her shoulders ached as she tried to get comfortable once again. It was a strange feeling, the feeling of helplessness. Hermione felt exhausted her chest and heart heavy. No matter how hard Harry looked, he may never find her.

As she sat there, unconsciousness swept over her, forcing her eyes shut. Perhaps her body would recover with a good night's rest.

Draco sat with his face in his hands, his ex-enemy patting him on the back. Hermione had been missing for three days and they had gotten nowhere. Draco, Harry, Jean, and even Ginny had sat down hours at a time and gone over each hiding spot, trying to find one that was still intact. Blaise had even come over once, to help them search. He had picked up one of the many folders scattered across the living room floor and leafed through it. Then, picking up another, he continued to search until Draco finally told him to give up for the night.

Each night, well past midnight, they would all trudge to their bedrooms, dread heavy in their hearts. All three boys had gone to crying during the day, each wanting to see Hermione. Eltanin had been the worst of the three. As of today, he was refusing to talk to Draco because he wouldn't bring Hermione back. Elt had asked Draco if Hermione was mad at them, but he quickly assured the little boy that she would be back soon. They didn't do anything wrong and she was just due for a long vacation.

Eltanin knew Draco was lying, but accepted the story anyway.

Tonight Draco had finally lost hope, completely clueless as to where Hermione was and how to get her back. "I don't know what else we can do," Draco said quietly, trying to keep calm.

Instead of arguing with him, Harry just shook his head, "I don't either. We've tried everything we could think of, and none of it worked."

Draco stood up, walked over to a small cabinet in the corner and pulled out some firewhiskey. He took down two glasses and went to sit them in front of Harry. "We must be missing something."

As he poured, Harry picked up a few folders again and started to leaf through them, obviously trying to find some sort of miracle. He searched for another fifteen minutes, slowly sipping the drink, as Draco watched him. The particular folder Harry was looking at was one of the ones Blaise had looked through. He had said that nothing was there, and Draco had double checked. He had found nothing also. Anger flooding his mind, he reached out to tear the folder from Harry's hands when Harry grabbed his wrist. He had broken out into a grin, looking between the current page he was on and the next.

Draco pulled back his arm and looked over Harry's shoulder, "What did you find?"

Harry opened the folder so that Draco could see more clearly and pointed at the page numbers in the bottom right corner of the page. Then, he flipped to the next page and Draco stared in astonishment. Page number six went straight to page ten. "You've got to be kidding me."

Harry shook his head, "No, I'll bet a thousand galleons this is the building we are looking for. Can you remember what is supposed to be here?"

Draco shook his head, looking between the two pages, "No I can't. The hideouts weren't put in here in any kind of order. It helped keep the order from deciphering where we could be hiding."

Harry nodded, standing up to walk into the kitchen. Draco followed him, his glass in his hand. "So all we have to do is figure out where this page went," Harry said hopefully. Draco frowned, his forehead wrinkling, "How in bloody hell are we going to do that?"

The folder fell onto the kitchen table as Harry leafed through the remaining papers. "I know you said there was no order, but there has to be some kind of pattern. If there was no pattern than a deatheater wouldn't be able to find the spots."

Draco nodded, seeing his point, "Ok, then I'll go and get some more folders so we can use them also."

Harry nodded, mirroring Draco, "Yeah, that would be gre-" but he cut off, looking up at the ceiling. Draco had heard it also. Just above their heads, a loud crash had shaken the entire kitchen. Draco looked at Harry with a puzzling look. Harry's face froze, looking up at where the sound had come from, "That's your room Draco."

Draco was out of the kitchen even before Harry had finished the sentence. Fear had settled in his heart when he hit the stairs, "Elt?"

The little boy answered, running out of the doorway, "its okay Daddy, I fixed everything."

_The sunshine fell on Hermione's face, warming her entire body. The green fields that surrounded her stretched as far as she could see, the horizon only broken by the few hills that were off in the distance. Everything around her was so beautiful, frozen in the magnificence of mid-day. _

_As she looked around her, she felt a faint stir of alarm. There was no one with her, no one even near her. She was all alone, in this little paradise. Her heart clutched, knowing she should be thinking of someone. She couldn't seem to remember who it was though. The only thing she could think of was an image, a small, smiling face floated in front of her. _

_The face was clearly male, although not very old. His hair was short and blonde; and his cheeks were a rosy red. He had a huge smile spread across his face and he was saying something. Hermione couldn't tell what it was, but she knew she had to hear it. As she focused on the face, a sharp jab brought her back to the green grassy hills. "Ow," she said, looking around her. There was no one standing next to her, so how did she get poked. She felt it again, and she looked down, still finding nothing. Then she heard a voice, somewhere beyond the dream she was in._

"Miss Hermione must wake up."

Hermione stirred, her head pounding from the position she was stuck in. The ropes we still bound to her wrist and feet, and she struggled to get free, "Who is there?"

"Shhh, you must be quiet Miss. Master Eltanin sent me to get you," Willow's voice answered. The ropes that were so tightly bound began to loosen. Hermione started trying to move her arms and legs, but her hands were still unresponsive. "Willow, I can't move my arms."

She felt a small pair of hands touch her shoulder, and Hermione flinched from the pain. Then, the ropes fell away, finally letting Hermione move. She slowly tried to lift her arms again, but they feel limp at her side. Her legs, on the other hand, worked fine. "Willow, we have to get out of here," she whispered frantically, trying to stay calm. Tinky was sure to find them and alert the masked people. Although she still couldn't see, Hermione tried to find her small friend with her ears, focusing hard to find her.

"Willow will get you out of here."

"Who, in bloody hell, are you?" The male voice from the day before echoed around the room, causing Hermione to give a small shriek. Willow's breathing had become shallow and small, as though she were trying to shrink into the shadows. Footsteps pounded towards Hermione and she stood up, ready to defend Willow the best she could. "You have to go home Willow, now."

"You is not my master Miss, and my Master wants you home."

A fist collided with Hermione's lower jaw and she felt the darkness consume her again. Before she had completely lost all consciousness, she felt a pair of small hands grab her and pull her into the space of time between apparition points.

"What do you mean, you fixed everything?" Draco looked down at his son, appalled.

Eltanin just looked up at his father, his chin in the air, "I sent Willow to get Miss 'mione. You weren't doing anything to get her back, so I did."

Draco's brows furrowed in confusion until he saw Willow run to the doorway, "Master Malfoy, Miss needs you. She is hurt bad."

At some point, Harry had run up behind Draco and was standing at his shoulder, "Wait, Hermione is in there?"

All it took was for Harry to point out this fact for Draco to sprint into the bedroom. When he got through the doorway he saw her, crumpled on the floor in a heap. "Hermione?"

He ran to her, pushing her hair back from her face and going over her face. It was her, and Draco felt a huge weight lift from his chest. She was finally back. Then, her features set in.

There was a huge bruise on her right cheek, coloring her otherwise pale face. Harry came up behind him and assisted Draco in picking her up and laying her on the bed. Either man could have picked her up themselves, but they were too frightened of hurting her more.

Once she was lying on the soft pillows, Draco began to look over her injuries. Both of her shoulders were swollen and blue, there were bruises all along her torso, and one of her ankles looked as though it were sprained.

He and Harry worked over her, healing her up as much as they could. Once they were at her torso, Draco gently shifted her and tried to feel if any of her ribs were broken.

With a strangled cry, Hermione jolted awake and used her fist to push away Draco's face. Draco hissed and backed away, nursing his cheek, "Damn it Hermione."

She stopped thrashing and looked around, her eyes not focusing on anything, "Draco? Is it really you?"

Harry pulled her arms down and sighed, "It's us Hermione."

"Harry!" she threw her arms out, clumsily wrapping them around his neck. Her shoulders shook as she clung to him. He shushed her and patted her back gently, "It is going to be alright; you're home."

Draco stepped forward, sitting down behind her, "You're safe now."

When he touched her back, she let go of Harry and threw herself at him, tears staining his shirt. She didn't say anything, just sobbed into his shirt. He wrapped his arms around her, thankful to have her near him again. As he smoothed out her hair, her chest heaved harder. Draco rested his cheek against the top of her head, "Don't cry love, it is all alright."

Hermione shook her head, still sobbing into his shirt, "Where is Eltanin?"

"I'm right here Miss Hermione."

Hermione slowly let go of Draco and reached her hand out, as though trying to feel for Elt. Draco looked at her strangely then looked over at Harry. His face was wrinkled with concern and confusion.

Eltanin climbed up onto the bed and into Hermione's lap, hugging her neck and wrapping his arms around her. She gently held him, her sobbing slowing to silent tears. "Next time you go on a trip, Miss Hermione, I want to go with you. I didn't like you being gone."

Hermione let out a laugh, which lit up her face slightly, "Okay."

"Hermione?" Draco looked up to see Ginny standing in the doorway, a less than modest night-gown hugging her frame. It seemed that she had hurried from bed. Her wand was resting in her right hand while the left was resting above her heart.

Harry rushed over to her, wrapping an arm around her before she could fall, "Eltanin brought her back."

Then Ginny grinned, rushing to Hermione's other side, "Thank you Elt."

Elt pulled his face out of Hermione's neck and nodded, "I missed her too much. I wanted her home." Ginny laughed and rubbed the boys back, a big grin on her face.

Draco had been quiet through all of this, not taking his eyes off Hermione. Her eyes were vacant, as though they couldn't quite focus. He looked over at Harry, who was still looking at Hermione with concern. "Hermione, what happened?"

Hermione shook her head, motioning towards Eltanin. The little boy didn't seem to notice though, as he was basking in the greatness of finding his favorite teacher.

Harry walked over to the bed, to stand beside the sitting Ginny, "What happened to your eyes?"

Draco put his arm around her waist and she relaxed into him. "I don't know what happened. I woke up and couldn't see." She shivered, tears falling from her eyes once again. Draco held her tighter, pulling her against him. Ginny held out her arms, "Come on Elt, why don't you sleep with Teddy and Albus tonight."

Elt shook his head, clutching at Hermione desperately, "No, I don't want to leave. What if she disappears?" Hermione shushed his and gently pulled his hands from her shirt, "I won't leave, I promise. I'll be right here when you wake up."

The blonde boy looked up at her suspiciously, but then his face cleared. He hopped off the bed and followed Ginny, "Ok, I believe you 'mione. I know you tell me the truth."

When they were gone, Hermione wrapped her arms around herself, "What was that about?" Draco shook his head, resting his cheek once again against her hair. She felt nice, solid against him. His mind was finally at ease to have her in his arms again. Hermione curled into him, sighing against his shoulder. "My mother and father are dead," she blurted. Her chest started to shake and she pulled her knees up to her chest. The quick breaths turned into sobs. She shook with such ferocity that Draco felt a sudden stir of alarm. Harry, his wand out, was muttering spells under his breath and waving around his wand. Even as small flashes of red and green light filtered from the wand to Hermione, she didn't stop.

Once his last spell was complete, Harry sat on the bed with Hermione between him and Draco. "How did they die?"

Hermione shook her head, pulling it from Draco's chest. When her eyes opened, she blinked and smiled, her gaze floating to Harry, "How did you know?"

Harry just shrugged, "It was a lucky guess. I figured it couldn't have been a very strong charm, but it wasn't a blinding charm because your eyes weren't milky."

Though tears still flowed freely from her eyes, Hermione was able to control her sobs as she sat up. "I didn't know what had happened to me. I kept trying to find some way to get free, but I was trapped there."

Harry stopped her, wrapping his hand around hers. She noticed how frail she felt compared to his strong grasp. The idea of being weak shook her, and she fought herself not to pull her hand away. She focused instead of Draco's arm resting around her waist. As of right now, he was what she needed to lean on. She took a long breath before continuing with her story, "I was tied to a chair with what I believed was muggle ropes. They didn't seem to do anything magical." Her lips pursed as she tried to recall the past few days, "I don't remember much. I remember the screams of my parents, and the really deep voice."

Harry looked at her oddly, "Deep voice?"

Hermione nodded, "There were two people who spoke to me, a man and a woman. It was strange though, because I recognized both voices, but I couldn't seem to place a face with a name." Hermione shuddered, remembering why they had kidnapped her in the first place, "They wanted Elt."

Draco stiffened beside her, his grip on her loosening. Hermione understood; she was still fighting the urge to check on the small boy. Harry was different though, he looked thoughtful, "Did they say why?"

Hermione shook her head, a small smile on her lips, "They weren't fans of the monologue."

Harry chuckled and pulled her into a hug, "I'm so glad you're okay. We've all been worried sick that something had happened to you. Ron's been out of his mind trying to find you."

Hermione pulled back, a frown on her face, "Why would he be trying to find me? As far as he was concerned, I didn't matter anymore."

Harry shook his head, "He was just being Ron. Look, he's been repeating to us how sorry he is; which means he will probably be doing the same to you. Go easy on him, okay? He's been through a lot." Harry's eyes shifted to Draco then back to Hermione. "I'm going to get some sleep, you should do the same."

Hermione could tell he wanted to move her to another room, but he was conflicted. Hermione could understand too, she didn't want to sleep alone tonight at all. If she was alone again, whoever had taken her in the first place could come back. Harry just wasn't sure if he approved of Hermione's newest relationship. _If that's what I could call it_, she thought to herself. Thought of Ron flooded back to her, how angry he had been. _I wish I could just live my life the way I want to live it,_ her thought had turned vicious, so she backtracked and took a deep breath. "Go back to Ginny Harry, I'll be alright."

Harry nodded, turning reluctantly and leaving. Hermione's heart pounded as he walked out of the room, seemingly taking forever to close the door.

Once he was gone and they had privacy, Hermione rested her head on Draco's chest, smelling sun and soap on him. Her eyes grew heavy as she lay there, feeling safe. His arm was rigid against her back though, and he didn't seem to be breathing. Remorse suddenly fell over her as she realized the problem. He knew what she thought they were, and he didn't agree with it. He didn't want her to lay that close.

As slowly as she could, she tried lifting herself off of him and to the other side of the small bed. His arm tightened around her and she looked up, surprised to see him staring at her. "What's wrong? Are you hurting?"

Hermione shook her head, feeling tears in her eyes. She was ashamed to be caught crying over something this trivial when she should be mourning the loss of her parents. "I'm alright, I'm just trying to move."

His face fell, "Oh, why would you want to do that?"

Hermione was puzzled, didn't he want her to move. "I thought I was making you uncomfortable."

Draco laughed, clearly his face momentarily, "Why would you think that? Hermione, this," he pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her, "is what I want."

Hermione felt the sharp pain in her shoulder blades from her injuries, but ignored it. He felt so good, holding her close, that she didn't want him to let go. Instead, she curled closer, easing the pain in her back and making herself more comfortable in the process. "Then why are you upset?"

He looked down at her and grinned, "You sound like Eltanin, with your questions. There is nothing wrong, I'm just thinking. I'm trying to put the pieces together. You said that you recognized the voices, but you couldn't remember."

Hermione nodded, feeling her hair brush against his jaw. He drew in a breath and she smiled in spite of herself. Looking up at him, her eyes met his and she felt like time had evaporated. He gently ran his finger against the side of her face and she closed her eyes. His finger left a blazing trail along her skin, but it was not unpleasant. "Can we forget about it, just for tonight? I'm too tired to remember much. My mind keeps repressing what happened. It's a coping mechanism."

Draco nodded, smiling, "I know it is."

Hermione rested her head against his shoulder, feeling her eyes droop, "We'll be able to talk in the morning."

She felt him adjust, moving farther down on the bed, "That we will. Get some sleep now, you're safe."

The next morning, Hermione awoke to an empty bed. For a moment she still believed she was captured, but when she remembered the room at Grimmauld Place, her heart slowed. The nights events came flooding back to her, tears once again flooding her eyes. She pushed them back though, needing to see Eltanin again. She had to make sure the small boy was alright.

As she climbed out of the bed, Hermione was not surprised to see a pair of jeans and a scarlet t-shirt sitting at the food of her bed. She dressed, taking care to lift the shirt over her head. Her shoulders were still sore, which caused them to lack proper movement. A small hiss escaped her lips as she put her arms through the arm-holes and straightened out the creases. The pain was bearable, but not unnoticeable.

Smells from the kitchen wafted up to Hermione as she climbed down the staircase. Eggs and sausage were the most dominant smells, but they were fighting with the toast and tea. Her stomach grumbled at the smells as she opened the door leading in. "Ms. Hermione, you're awake. Daddy said I couldn't bother you because you were tired."

At the sight of the small boy, a smile burst onto Hermione's face. He was safe; she had made sure of that. Everything that she went through had been for him and it was worth it. "Yes Elt, I was very tired."

Eltanin nodded, accepting this, "Okay, as long as you didn't leave again."

Hermione went to sit at the table, but she was stopped by Harry. He looked stony faced, like he was trying to look impassive. Draco was standing beside him, but he looked more uncomfortable. Hermione was sure what was going on, so she just stopped and looked at them both. Draco looked her in the eyes, apprehension apparent. "What's wrong?" Hermione asked, nervousness flooding her emotions.

"I told Harry it was alright, but he wants to make sure," Draco said lamely, before breaking off.

Hermione looked at Harry, realization suddenly hitting her. He didn't trust her. She agreed with him though, instead of being herself, it could have been someone polyjuiced. She nodded, allowing him to continue. "What is your question Harry?"

Harry nodded back at her, uncrossing his arms and resting them on her shoulders, "Who are the founders of Hogwarts?"

Draco looked at him as though he were insane, "Everyone knows that. How are you supposed to know it's really her."

Hermione grinned, looking Harry in the eye and reciting Hogwarts, a History.

"_Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago - the precise date is uncertain - by the four greatest wizards of the age. The four school houses are named after them: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin._

_They built this castle together, far from prying Muggle eyes, for it was an age when magic was feared by common people and witches and wizards suffered much persecution. For a few years, the founders worked in harmony together, seeking out youngsters who showed signs of magic and bringing them up to the castle to be educated."_

Harry nodded in approval while Draco stared at her incredulously, "You have it memorized?"

Hermione laughed and Harry hugged her, "She never went anywhere without it. Even when we were in the wilderness searching, she still read it almost nightly."

Ginny came around the table then, setting down the most delicious looking breakfast Hermione had ever seen. She smiled up at Hermione and motioned for them to sit down, "I still think she has a copy sitting on her bedside table."

Hermione ignored them all to sit next to Eltanin, who was happily playing with his father's wand. Sparks were flying out of it as he banged it on the table, laughing each time it happened. "You're pretty good with that," Hermione stated, pushing herself up to the table. Eltanin nodded and grinned, standing in his chair, "I'm going to be a great wizard someday. I'll be able to cast spells and do magic, just like my daddy."

He thrust out the wand, causing the food to slide off the table and onto the floor. Draco turned around, looking at breakfast, which was now all over his shoes. Harry turned with him, a small smile on his face. Eltanin just looked mortified, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." He sat down in his chair and started to cry, just as Draco came back around the table, his hand held out, "Give me that wand. I thought I told you not to play with it."

Eltanin scooted closer to Hermione, "It was just on the table. I only picked it up for a few second, honest."

Hermione wrapped her arm around his shoulders and grinned up at Draco, "Let him be, he didn't mean to."

She glanced at Draco's wand, which was now resting in his palm, and felt lost. She looked over to Harry, letting go of Eltanin and standing up, "Where is my wand?"

Harry sighed, going into the sitting room. It took him a few moments to return, but when he did, Hermione took a small intake of breath. There her wand lay, split in half. Memories of Godrics Hollow and the snake flooded back into her mind. At that moment in time, she hadn't been able to understand just how lost Harry was without his wand. Now, staring at the unfixable pieces of wood in Harry's hand, she understood.

Tears fell down her cheeks as she took the mutilated wand, resting the pieces in her hands. "I can't believe it."

"I tried to fix it," Harry said, surprising everyone. From the looks on Draco and Ginny's face, they hadn't known. Hermione though, just nodded.

Her wand was gone, and she was just going to have to accept that. Perhaps she would go to Diagon Alley, to get a new one. Although, it just won't work as well as her first one did. She'd been through a lot with that wand. So much training, so much fighting, so much death, and now her wand was dead too.

"Aunt Hermione, what happened?" Teddy's voice broke through her trance. She looked down at him and smiled, ruffling his hair. "I just broke my wand."

Teddy nodded, walking past her to the kitchen, "Hey Elt, you want to play a game. Uncle George gave it to me for my birthday. It's really fun."

Hermione laughed when she heard Eltanin stand, exiting the kitchen quickly. His voice rang down the hallway as he went, "What game is it?"

Ginny quickly followed them when Teddy exclaimed, "Exploding Snap."

Hermione laughed and shook her head, "You know, Teddy reminds me of someo-"

"Hermione?"

Ron was standing in the doorway, Jean at his side. He seemed to be in shock, which wasn't surprising to Hermione. The last time they had spoken, Ron had broadcasted how much he hated her.

On instinct, Hermione looked around to find Draco. She was afraid that they would start fighting, which she wouldn't be able to handle. "He went with Ginny," Harry whispered, gently prodding her in the back. Hermione nodded, looking back at Ron.

She was surprised to find Jean standing in front of her though. Hermione laughed and hugged her, not realizing just how much she had missed her best friend. "I'm so glad you're alright 'mione."

Hermione smiled, pulling back and wiping tears from her face, "Thank you for taking care of them."

Jean nodded, cupping Hermione's face with her palms, "Anything for you. Besides," she dropped her hands, "Eltanin is such a cute kid. I'd do it even if you were-Umff"

Jean had become muffled by Ron's rush at Hermione. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, his shoulders relaxing into her. Hermione did the only think she could think to do, hug him back.

It took her a moment to realize that Ron wasn't just hugging her, he was crying. "Ron? It's alright. I'm fine."

Ron nodded into her hair, "I'm such a lousy friend."

Hermione shook her head, pulling him closer, "No you're not. It's my fault; I'm always starting the fights." Without thinking, she turned and kissed his cheek. She felt him grin and pull back, "What was that for."

Hermione let go, stepping back to allow some space between them, "You are a wonderful friend Ron, but sometimes you can be a real butthead. I'm no help though, always pushing you until you explode."

Ron nodded at her, making her laugh. She gently slapped him on the arm, "You're supposed to disagree with me."

Harry stood in between them, a laugh erupting from him, "Honestly you too."

Ron was about to say something else when he looked over Hermione's shoulder at the kitchen, "Bloody Hell, what happened here?"

Hermione turned and chuckled, "Elt got a hold of Draco's wand."

Harry pulled out his wand and cleaned up the mess, "Reminds me of Teddy. There have been moments since Draco started staying here that I actually feared for my life."

Ron nodded his agreement and Hermione looked confused. Harry elaborated for her, "I think Teddy and Elt are going to be the next Fred and George."

Hermione placed her hand over her mouth to muffled herself, "Minerva will love that."

"So are you all friends again?" A voice asked from behind them. Harry turned to pull his wife into his arms, "Yes dear."

Ginny straightened then, looking straight at Hermione, "Then we must go to Diagon Alley today. You need a new wand and I am in need of a new set of dress robes."

Harry rolled his eyes at Ron, who was silently agreeing with him. They did not understand shopping at all.

Hermione, on the other hand, had grown fond of the trips she spent with Ginny. They always had fun, pulling away and pressure, stress, or tension Hermione had been feeling. Mrs. Potter always knew when she needed to get away from the world, as she knew that this was exactly what she needed.

Harry shook his head at Ginny though, "I'm going with you then. It's not safe for you to go alone, especially with the recent kidnapping," he looked pointedly at Hermione.

Hermione, still not wanting to go out on her own, nodded, "I'd like that. Although, afterwards, we need to figure out where I was. I-" she cut off, the memory of her parents suddenly flooding back and going to the forefront of her mind. "Oh my god," she said, falling against the wall. She could hear it all over again, her mother's screams, her father trying to comfort her.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" Ron's voice sounded far away and worried.

She felt someone stand her up straight and move her to the couch, "Hermione?"

"My parents," she said, sobs escaping her lips, "We have to find them. Oh no" Her head fell into her hands and she tried to get a grasp on what had happened.

She heard Harry's voice in her ears, "Go and get her some water."

Then she heard Ginny's voice, "No, I'll better."

It only took Ginny a few moments to find what she was looking for, because Hermione felt two small hands touch her cheeks, rubbing off the wetness. "Aunt Hermione, it's going to be okay. Mum said that we're going to go get you a new wand."

Though she still felt horrible, Hermione laughed. She held open her arms and the small boy crawled in her lap, still brushing tears from her cheeks, "You can cry though, if you want. Gran always says that you have to cry, or the garden won't grow. I don't know what that means, but it always makes me feel better."

Hermione heard Harry's laugh next to her ear, and she leaned into his shoulder. As Teddy continued talking about nonsense things, the tears gradually lessoned. At some point, Draco came into the room, Eltanin holding one hand and Albus holding the other. Hermione looked up at him and smiled weakly, hugging Teddy to her.

"I love you Aunt Hermione."

The room was filled with people, all there to make her feel better. If you had asked her a year ago whether Draco Malfoy would be standing in Harry Potter's living room because of Hermione Granger, she would have said they were crazy.

"I love you too Teddy," Hermione grinned, kissing the small boy on the cheek. He blushed and scrambled from her lap, going to stand next to his father. Harry laughed at the pink twinge to his cheeks and the way his hair had just gone deep red.

"What about me Miss 'mione?"

Hermione looked down to see Eltanin standing in front of her. She glanced behind the blond boy to Draco, who quirked an eyebrow. She pulled Elt into her lap and hugged him close, vowing never to let this boy go. Her heart clenched, just knowing that someone was after him, wanting to do God-knows-what with him.

As she rested her cheek against his head, she sighed in relief, "I love you Elt."

Ok, so you guys have every right to hate me, but I didn't actually lose the story this time. I've been trying to get this chapter right. I've probably rewritten it a million times. It's still really rough, and I'm not completely pleased with it, but I think you guys deserve it! Please be merciful with this chapter, it's not the best, but it gets me where I need to go. Now worries though, it's finally wrapping up. Probably like two more chapters and the epilogue, maybe 3. It depends how long my chapters are.

Hope you enjoyed it! And for my reviewers, I found out that I can respond to your reviews, so if you review this chapter, I'll give you cookies in the review! And a little note from me.

Always Remember to Love,

Until we Meet Again,

Ms. Darcy


	8. Picking it Back Up

Chapter 8  
_Picking it Back Up

* * *

_

The next week was no better for Hermione than the night she had been rescued. She spent the first few nights lying with Draco as she cried into his chest, trying to get a hold of who she had once been. Every time she had finally gotten control over her emotions, something else happened that caused her to remember.

Today, it was the funeral of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy.

Hermione felt a bit off, crying at the funeral of deatheaters who had once believed she should be killed, but she came out of respect. Not for the two people lying in front of her, but for the man sitting next to her, his eyes glazed over with unshed tears. She had held his hand through the entirety, crying the tears she would have cried if this were her parents' funeral.

The whole ordeal made her sick to her stomach. Once Harry had finally defeated Voldemort, the Wizarding World was put to ease. No one believed murder for the sake of murder would ever happen again. _Oh how they were wrong._

Contrary to what Draco though, many attended the service. Most that did merely came to confirm that the older Malfoy's were actually gone. Many still disliked them because of the part they played in the Second War.

The only people who were actually there to support someone was non-other than the Golden Trio. Harry, who had struck up a friendship with Draco the days they were trying to find Hermione, had sat on the other side of Draco. He would absently pat the blond man's shoulder, reassuring him that it would all be okay. Ron sat behind them, the Weasley family surrounding him. Though a few of them were still wary of Draco, they came to support him in his time of need. The only Weasley's not in attendance were Mrs. Weasley and Ginny, who had stayed behind to watch the children, under the strict eye of Kingsley and Jeanette.

Only a few people stood up to say anything, mostly members of the Malfoy Company. Boldly, Harry stood up in front of the crowd, the final puzzle piece in everyone's mind. If the hero Harry Potter had forgiven the Malfoy's and believed them to be good, then they must have. Once Harry was standing, Hermione had caught Ron's eye, motioning towards Harry. Ron, nodding in agreement, stood also.

As Hermione had wanted, the entire group had stared at them, their faces awestruck. The entire trio, the saviors of the Wizarding World, was standing in defense to a family who had sworn their allegiance against the light side.

"Today we put to rest two kind-hearted, misunderstood people. During the War, they were known to be members of Voldemort's deatheaters, which I will not deny. Yes, they were openly against mixed or non-magic blood, but I do not believe them to be as horrible as many may think."

Harry paused there, measuring the faces over each person in the crowd. Hermione didn't look at anyone, just Draco. He was watching Harry, a look on his face that she had never seen before. A tear ran down his cheek, which he promptly ignored. Hermione knew, the Malfoy's didn't show weakness, and her heart ached for him. Momentarily, she forgot about her problems, trying to find a way to make his go away. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts, that she didn't hear Harry continue.

"Whenever we were in hiding, we were captured by Snatchers. These snatchers, led by Ferir Greyback, recognized who we were at once. Well," he paused again, looking at his two best friends standing next to him. "He didn't recognize me. But, he took the three of us to Malfoy Manor. I remember it, very distinctly, as I'm sure the other three," he motioned towards Ron, Hermione, and Draco, "Remember it just as well. Lucius and Narcissa weren't determined to take us prisoner; they were only determined to protect their family. You see, Voldemort turned on them, treating them horribly for their son not completing a mission." Harry stopped now, his voice cutting off at the end of the sentence. Hermione knew what he was talking about. The night Dumbledore died, a night that everyone will remember.

After a few moments, Harry got his voice back, "He refused to kill a man who would have given his life for him, a man who was willing to stand aside and allow for one of his students to kill him. Draco Malfoy gave up the protection of his family and the reputation of his family to do the right thing. I was there, I saw the entire thing."

Draco looked away from Harry then, shame clear on his face. Harry didn't stop though; his speech was getting to a point. "I have completely forgiven them for anything they have done to me, knowing that it was merely bad choices that put them on the wrong side. Though they didn't sway completely to the good side," Harry smiled this time, catching Draco's eye again and nodding, "They were good people. Whenever it was all over, they stood beside us, knowing there was a brighter future."

Harry nodded once and went to take his seat, Hermione and Ron doing the same. Before he could sit down though, Draco stood and pulled Harry into his arms, giving him a long, brotherly hug. The gasp from the audience was clear, ringing in Hermione's ears. After only a brief moment of embrace, the two men sat down with Hermione on their other side.

After Harry's speech, the service ended with Narcissa and Lucius' bodies being wrapped in a casket, just as Dumbledore's had. The Malfoy Manor loomed behind them. Hermione knew that Draco didn't want Eltanin to grow up in such a large house, but the property was his now. With the burial of his parents, Draco now inherited the money, name, and house. With Lucius and Narcissa resting on the outskirts, Draco couldn't sell it.

"Thank you Harry, for that," Hermione watched as Draco opened the large wooden doors leading into the entryway. To their surprise, Daphne was standing beside the door, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes brimming with tears, "I'm so sorry Draco."

She threw herself into his arms, sobbing onto his shoulder. Draco, obviously surprised, patted her back, "It's alright. I'm going to be fine." Hermione tried not to feel relieved at the awkwardness Draco clearly felt.

Daphne didn't pull herself form Draco's embrace though. "You should come live with me. You know I have plenty of room, and you will be safe."

Draco did pull away then, "What are you saying."

Daphne wrapped her arms around herself, "You and Eltanin, coming to stay with me."

Draco shook his head, "Daphne, that's not going to happen."

Her face changed then, it was no longer one of sorrow. This time, it was full of rage. Huge, angry tears flooded more freely down her face, "Well why the bloody hell not!"

Hermione and Harry drew back, surprised by her outburst. Draco didn't back down, "Is that what you came here for? You are still trying to get Elt? He and I are doing just fine, he doesn't need you."

Daphne didn't draw back as she had before when Draco yelled at her, "He is my son too. I have every right to see him. Those Auror's are obviously not doing their job, seeing as one of them were taken. How do you know it won't happen again? Does she even have another wand yet?"

Hermione pulled out her new mahogany, 8 ½ inches, Unicorn hair wand from inside of her dress robes, "As a matter a fact I do."

Daphne laughed, a high shrill laugh, and Hermione had to step back a bit. The woman sounded completely insane. "You'll see Draco," she threatened, making her way towards the door, "I'll get him. I'm taking this to court, and you can't stop me."

She stomped out of the doorway then, he shoulders hunched as she walked away from them. Ron shut the door, his red hair contrasting with the black door, "She's off her rocker."

Hermione nodded, but turned back to Draco, "If she can get a decent Negotiator, then she will have a case. They can deem me incompetent."

"Over my dead body," Harry said, making his way further into the house. "I've sent Ginny the message that the service is over. She should be arriving soon with the kids. Should we make lunch?"

Draco shook his head, "There are house-elves here to do it."

Hermione was stunned, "How many?"

Draco smiled at her, shaking his head, "Enough that most of the family fortune is going to go to clothes and pay for them."

Hermione finally smiled, nodding her head, "Good, then I have no problem with them making lunch."

* * *

Draco sat with his chin in his hand, going over everything that Daphne had said. Something she had said sounded wrong to him. He got an uneasy feeling whenever he would think about it.

The kitchen was bustling with about 10 house-elves when Hermione sat down on a stool next to him, "Are you alright."

Draco looked over at her, her eyes still full of unshed tears. She was so fragile lately. Draco could imagine what she had gone through, having experienced it many times during the war. The difference was, he hadn't known many of those people, and the ones he did he didn't like. It had never been anyone like his parents that had been tortured. What Hermione must have heard, he couldn't understand it. "Yes," he answered quietly, taking her hand, "I'm still in denial."

Hermione nodded, a stray tear escaping down her cheek. Draco reached up and brushed it away; resting his hand on her cheek, "Don't worry. We are going to find them."

She did start crying then, and Draco pulled her into his arms. They were in a strange position, seeing as they were both on barstools, but Draco didn't care. He just wanted her close; close enough that he could make sure nothing ever happened to her again. "I have to go and speak with the muggle police. I have to file a missing persons report, even though I know what happened to them."

Draco nodded into her hair, "I'll come with you."

Hermione shook her head though, her hair tickling his nose, "You have to go and settle things with your company. Plus, you've got to make sure Eltanin stays safe."

Hermione pulled out of his arms, and he instantly missed her. He wasn't used to needing someone so close to him at all times. "It shouldn't take me long to sort everything out, I can at least go with you up north. You'll be driving, I assume, so you'll need some company. We can take Eltanin with us. He's in no better hands when he stays with you and me."

She wiped the tears of her face and nodded, "Alright, if that's what you want. I've got to get a hold of myself before we go though. I can't be breaking down as though-" she cut off and Draco shook his head. He patted her knee and stood up, "It's going to work out."

She stood with him and they went into the sitting room where everyone else was at. As they walked through the doorway, Draco was surprised to find Blaise, sitting stone faced as he spoke with Harry. Whenever Draco approached though, he turned his gaze to him. "I tried everything mate. Daphne's got a great negotiator. It's only been five hours since the funeral and he's already got it to the judge. I didn't find out until I showed up after the service had ended."

Draco sat down next to him, pulling Hermione down with him. There wasn't much room on the loveseat that Blaise sat in, so she sat on his knee. He wrapped an arm around her as he started to shake, "What does that mean?"

Blaise sighed, leaning back and rubbing his temples, "You won't lose him, I'll see to that, but you've got to let her see him. She's asking for a private visit, probably two days. Kingsley already stopped that, but she still wants to see him. She's agreed to allow Jeanette to accompany him. She'll give Jeanette a room right next to Elt's so that's she's near."

Draco sat stony-faced through the entire story, trying to figure some way out of this. Fear tightened in his chest as he imagined Daphne running off with Eltanin. If Jean were there though, she would make sure he was safe. He would get Elt back if it was the last thing Jeanette did. "Alright, as long as Jean goes, I'm willing to let her see him."

Blaise nodded, standing up a bit quickly, "I'll go straight to the judge then and tell him the good news. Since you've negotiated on your own, there will be no need for a trial." Then he left quickly, with not even a good-bye wave.

Draco watched him go, dread filling his mind. He would have to endure a few days without Eltanin, which was almost unbearable. He had done everything in his power to protect the little boy, and now it was going to be out of his power.

Hermione stiffened in his arms, turning towards Harry, "I have an idea."

Harry laughed just as Ginny walked into the room with the boys, "What's so funny Daddy?"

Harry pulled Teddy into his arms and shook his head, "I'm just waiting for 'mione to say 'I'll be in the library.'"

Hermione blushed, standing up from Draco's knee and pointing to her head, "I don't need to go to the library, I already know everything in here."

Ginny grinned and nodded, "You've always known everything, you just used books to prove it to the rest of us."

Ron, who was in the kitchen with the Jeanette, yelled towards them, "Although we'd have believed you anyway, none of us like to read."

Draco reached out and pulled Hermione down next to him before she could read, "What's your brilliant idea."

Instead of looking at Draco, she looked at Harry and Ginny instead, "We use the coins."

Harry looked thoughtfully at Elt, "Could you make it to where he wouldn't need a wand?"

Draco spoke at the same time, "What do you mean, coins?"

Ginny answered for Hermione, so she could speak with Harry, "In my fourth year, your fifth, we created the DA, which you very well know. We had to communicate somehow, so we used galleons. The coin would burn in our pockets whenever we were to meet."

Harry and Hermione had their heads together, speaking in short whispers now. Draco could catch what they were saying, but he didn't care. He may only reluctantly trust Harry, but Hermione he would trust with his life.

* * *

The next day, Hermione held up the locket she had just created with her new wand. Eltanin looked at it with a smile, "its pretty Miss Hermione."

Hermione grinned and slipped it over his head, "Don't take this off, whatever happens."

Eltanin nodded bravely, "I promise."

Draco walked into Eltanin's bedroom, Willow at his heels, "I is ready miss. I is going with Master Malfoy."

Hermione grinned and patted Elt on the head before standing, "You know what to do if you get into trouble."

Eltanin nodded, and Hermione pulled out her own coin. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Draco pull out his, "Go ahead and try it."

Elt closed his eyes and grasped the locket, "I clear my mind and think about Daddy, then I whisper help."

The coin in Hermione's hand burned, the numbers changing to the longitude and latitude of the flat. "Perfect," she said, touching the locket with her wand, feeling the galleon cool in her hand. Eltanin was smiling, "Did it work?"

Hermione nodded, "Yes," she stood and looked at Draco. He was staring at the coin in his hand, amazed, "You did this in our fifth year?"

Hermione nodded, putting the coin into the front pocket of her pants. He looked up at her, a look of admiration on his face, "What in bloody hell were you doing in Gryffindor?"

Hermione shrugged, "I was destined to be best friends with Harry."

With a shake of his head, Draco pocketed the coin and turned to go into the kitchen. Hermione smiled down at Eltanin before following Draco, her heart speeding up as she walked into the kitchen. "Jeanette should be here soon, then we can get to Malfoy Enterprises."

As she said her name, Jean appeared in the fireplace, brushing soot off of her cloak. The bag in her hand was about to burst. Hermione laughed and went to hug her friend, "You know you're only going to stay there for two days."

Jean nodded, "Just be happy I don't have 2 bags. It took me hours to fit everything I needed into one bag."

The bag looked as though it were about to burst and Hermione shook her head, "You could have shrunk everything."

Jean looked truly distressed, "I did!"

"Oh."

Hermione glanced down at the bag then back to Jeanette, "Really?"

Eltanin came into the living area then, a big smile on his face, "When are we going?"

Hermione watched as Draco picked up his son, holding him close, "Yes, I believe Jeanette is ready."

Eltanin nodded against his father's neck, "I wish you were coming with me."

Tears sprang to Hermione's eyes as she watched. She felt as though she were intruding on something private, so she turned to Jean instead. The look on Jeanette's face showed that she completely understood.

"You take care of him," Hermione said, sounding sharper than she intended. Jeanette nodded, grasping Hermione around the neck, "I will I promise."

With Jeanette holding her, the tears fell down her cheeks, "If anything goes wrong, I'll be there."

"It is only going to be two days Miss 'mione. Then Miss Jean will be back."

Hermione and Jean laughed at the same time, letting go of each other to hug the small boy, "I know Elt. I'm just going to miss you two."

She could feel Eltanin's grin against her shoulder, "I'll be back too, I promise."

Hermione let go and stood straight, "You'd better go."

Jean took Eltanin's hand and led him to the fireplace, "Don't forget to close your eyes."

Eltanin laughed, almost bouncing with excitement, "I'm not scared."

When they were gone, Hermione walked over to Draco. Unshed tears lay in his eyes, causing him to turn away from her in horror. She understood though, because the tears were still sitting on her cheeks. The sounds of her parents screams filled her ears, reminding her of what she had given up to keep Elt alive. She hadn't told anyone, not even Harry. Whenever she would try, her throat closed up and she felt like she was going to hyperventilate.

"Hermione, are you alright. You are looking a bit off," Draco placed his hands on either side of her face. He felt unnaturally cold to her, sending a chill down her spine. "You're burning up, what's wrong?"

Hermione pulled her face out of his grasp and sat down, "I'm scared."

It seemed ridiculous out loud, voicing her fears. She felt as though she were betraying herself. Hermione Granger never became scared; she was always level headed and calm. She helped take down Voldemort with Harry Potter, why should she be frightened now.

"I am too," his voice broke at the end, and Hermione didn't doubt his sincerity. She felt useless, just sitting there wallowing in her pity. Draco was still standing where he was before, staring at her. She recalled the days whenever he had been arrogant, always looking down on her. Now he stood next to her, an equal, grateful that she was taking care of his kid.

"I think Dumbledore knew something like this would happen."

It was such an abrupt statement that Hermione had to steady herself, "Dumbledore?"

Draco nodded, walking over to the couch and sitting down. She didn't have any choice but to follow him. He was staring straight ahead, remember something that she wished dearly she could see.

* * *

_"Mr. Malfoy, I daresay you surprise me."_

_The blue eyes twinkled from behind those glasses, as if he knew something about Draco that Draco didn't know himself. Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, his hands folded lightly in front of him. The charred fingers stuck out underneath his good hand. "Why are you telling me of your plan?"_

_Draco shrugged, not sure himself. "I really don't know. I have no idea why I am putting my family in danger like this."_

_Dumbledore shook his head, "Your family is well protected, I assure you."_

_Draco was surprised, "What do you mean, well protected."_

_Dumbledore smiled and leaned back in his chair, observing the young man with curious eyes, "There is a member of the order aware of your situation. He has kept it quiet, but not without consequence. He has been sent to protect you and your family at all expense."_

_Draco looked at the headmaster, a confused look on his face, "Why would you do that?"_

_Dumbledore lost his smile, looking completely serious. "You have come to me for help, and I believe that everyone should have the chance to be good."_

_The look on Draco's face showed he didn't believe him, "But I'm not good. I'm still planning on going through with my plan."_

_Dumbledore motioned to himself with his good hand, "Which you have just told me. I believe that means you are trying to be good. As I said before, should you kill me, I would hold no grudge against you."_

_Draco was dumbfounded. He just sat there, staring. Dumbledore ignored the silence, continuing with the conversation, "Are you planning of having children, Mr. Malfoy?"_

_This surprised Draco, who was expecting a much different question, "I haven't thought about that sir."_

_Dumbledore nodded, glancing at the portraits of headmasters around the wall, "It will be a boy."_

_This was all the old man said, so Draco tried to urge him on, "A son? How to you know this?"_

_"He will do great things. Keep an eye on him, Mr. Malfoy, because you will have something truly special on your hands."_

_Draco glanced down at his hands, "What do you mean, professor?"_

_Dumbledore chuckled and stood, ushering Draco out, "You'll find out in due time."_

"Draco, what do you mean Dumbledore knew?"

Draco brought himself back to the present. Hermione was sitting next to him, her hand resting on his arm. It hurt for him to think of what happened to his previous headmaster. It hurt to think that he almost killed the old man. It hurt worse knowing that if he hadn't excepted the mission, Dumbledore might be alive.

"Draco!"

"Nevermind Hermione, I was just remembering something Dumbledore told me. He told me that I was going to have a son."

Draco had forgotten about that conversation until today. He had forgotten until he saw his son walk away. "He'll be alright, Draco."

Draco nodded, taking her hand in his, "I know."

Hermione smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder. This was how it had been since Hermione had been rescued. Their relationship hadn't advanced, but Draco had to have Hermione next to him almost as much as he needed Elt. "Hermione?"

She looked up at him, her brown eyes questioning, "Yes?"

"What are we doing?"

Hermione seemed taken aback, but she composed her face quickly, "We are sitting on a couch."

Draco chuckled, shaking his head and wrapping an arm around her shoulder, "I meant metaphorically."

Hermione nodded, leaning into him, "I'm not sure. I feel so comfortable with you. I feel," she broke off, as though she were choosing her words carefully, "I feel safe with you."

Draco nodded, resting his cheek against her hair. She smelled of lavender and vanilla, his new favorite scents. "I," he wasn't sure if he should tell her, but it had been eating at him for a week. "I don't like it whenever you aren't with me. I feel, uneasy, whenever you are gone. I was going insane trying to find you when you disappeared."

Hermione was quiet, and Draco's heart began to race. He shifted on the couch, turning her toward him. Tears were flowing down her cheeks, and he instantly felt like hell. "I'm sorry Hermione, please don't cry. I won't bring it up again."

Hermione wiped her cheeks and shook her head, "No, we need to talk about it. I just…I never thought you would say that."

He gently wiped her cheek where tears were still flowing, "I didn't mean to upset you." His hand rested on her cheek and she moved closer, her face only inches from his. His breathing hitched and he had to concentrate on staying conscious.

There was a smile on her lips as she watched him, "I'm not upset, I'm happy."

He nodded, not really comprehending what she was saying. He was too distracted by how close she had become. After a moment, he pulled her to him, their lips connecting. It was only meant to be a slow kiss, one just to get his breath back, but it didn't work. As soon as he felt her kiss him back, he didn't want to let go.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her into his lap, smiling against her lips as she straddled him. Lavender filled his senses as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She tasted wonderful, unlike any girl he had ever kissed. This kiss wasn't just a precursor to something else, it felt more like a promise. He had never had these feelings before.

Her fingers wound in his hair, and where her skin touched his, he felt as though it was burning. His entire body was on fire.

Then, they broke off, both of them breathing deeply. Her eyes were dark as she stared at him, her arms still around his neck, "Wow."

Draco nodded, trying to remember what they had been discussing before he lost his mind. "That was new."

Hermione nodded, resting her forehead on his shoulder, "You've never kissed like that before?"

Draco shook his head, pulling her closer, "Never. What about you?"

Hermione took a deep breath and also shook her head, "Never, not even with Ron." At the mention of Weasley, Draco felt a flare of fury. At that moment, he hated the fact that Weasel had ever touched Hermione.

She lifted her head and stared at him, heat in her eyes. Draco stared back, his heart stopping and speeding up at the same time. _She's mine, _he thought, pressing his lips to her again.

* * *

Hermione felt like she had been holding her breath; her head was swimming and her body was alight. She sat, straddling a man who once thought she had dirty blood. A long time ago, he would have been disgusted to touch her. Now, he seemed to crave her.

Hermione had a rush of love that was very uncharacteristic of her. It had taken her six years to fall in love with Ron, and yet she felt the same rush she had felt then. Of course, this also felt different. With Ron, she hadn't wanted her own life. At times, she had wanted to be alone. Staring at Draco, she knew this was different. She never wanted to be separated from him.

When he kissed her again, she could tell he was trying to be nice. He hadn't expected her to react as she did. Although honestly, neither had Hermione.

She pulled him closer, gripping him tightly. He responded accordingly and pulled her in to deepen the kiss.

Hermione couldn't tell how long they stayed like that. It could have been minutes, or it could have been hours, she couldn't tell. Eventually though, she realized that there were things to do. Pulling back, she took a deep breath, trying to steady her floating head, "We have things to do today. You have to sort out everything at your fathers' company."

Draco sighed, shaking his head, "I really don't want to do that right now."

Hermione laughed, kissing him gently and clumsily standing up, "We have to."

She watched him as he stood, pulling her close and kissing her again. Hermione laughed against his mouth, completely happy and content. She thought about Ron and what he did to her, but she couldn't muster any hard feelings. She was too happy.

* * *

"I have arranged a meeting with the board of directors Mr. Malfoy. They are all very eager to meet you."

The woman who sat at the desk in front of Draco's office was beautiful, clearly a choice of Lucius. She smiled at Draco, who had his arm wrapped around Hermione's waist. Whenever he turned away, though, the secretary glared daggers at Hermione. She wondered if she should be worried, but Draco pulled her into his office and shut the door. Hermione giggled when he pulled her into his arms and kissed her once again.

After the kiss, he looked at her thoughtfully, "Funny, I never pictured you the giggle type."

Hermione rolled her eyes and sat down in front of his desk, "I didn't know I was." The chair was soft, the leather looking lush and expensive. "So what does Malfoy Enterprises do?"

Draco was standing on the other side of the desk, trying to find the modem to turn the computer on. "PR," he finally said, collapsing into his chair, "I'll never understand why father insisted on this worthless muggle equipment. I was perfectly happy with a quill and ink."

Hermione leaned forward and hit the power button on the side of the computer, "It uses a router. All of the computer networks are linked together." As if confirming, the screen lit up and the welcome jingle came on.

Draco looked at her with wonder in his eyes, "You are amazing, do you know that?"

"Oh we all know how amazing she must be, especially since she just turned the computer on," the woman from outside came in, sounding grumpy. She put down a pile of file folders, ignoring Hermione completely, "I'm Emily and here to serve you. If you need anything, just press this button."

After pointing out the button, she leaned over to 'fix the phone' which had nothing wrong with it. Draco raised an eyebrow and watched her. Hermione felt a flare of jealousy, which was out of character, and crossed her arms. What she didn't notice was the look of surprise on his face, "That will be all Emily," he said quickly. Emily sighed and walked out of the room, keeping the door wide open. Hermione had the slightest feeling that the secretary would be a problem.

"I can't believe this is what my father did. For as long as I can remember, my father never did anything where he would have to lift a finger, which is why I don't think I'm supposed to be doing this."

Hermione mumbled something incoherent and Draco looked up. She saw the look of confusion turn to realization, then to smugness. He looked up to see the door open and pressed the button Emily had 'pointed' out. "Yes Mr. Malfoy."

"Could you please shut my door, and in the future I would like you to wear more appropriate attire to work."

Hermione could hear the snort from outside the door. Draco smirked and Hermione rolled her eyes. The next second she heard the click of the door closing and watched as Draco stood up. "You're jealous," he stated, pulling her too his feet.

"I am not," Hermione said, hearing the false note in her voice.

Draco looked please as he pulled her once again into his arms, "I suppose you wouldn't believe me if I told you I was wondering what you would look like in that suit."

Hermione slapped his shoulder, causing him to laugh out loud. She sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck. It almost felt like a habit. "It's not like we've been together long enough for me to stake claim. I've been kissing you for all of 2 hours."

"3," Draco said, pulling her into a mind-bending kiss. Once they were both breathless, she pulled away. His cheeks were flushed and all his amusement was gone, and Hermione stopped breathing. "You have every right to stake claim, seeing as I already feel like I'm the only one for you."

Hermione laughed then, pushing him away, "You have work to do."

Draco let go reluctantly and sat back down at his desk, "Would you like a secretary job?" Hermione raised her eyebrow, and he elaborated, "You would do all this work for me. You would see how under-qualified I am and fix everything yourself."

"Then I would not like the job," Hermione said, sitting back down in her chair.

Draco looked back at the computer and nodded, looking completely serious, "I suppose it's for the best. I wouldn't get any work done anyway. I would be too busy taking coffee breaks with you that had nothing to do with coffee."

Hermione blushed furiously and looked past him, ignoring the huge smirk that crossed his face, "That's adorable, you know."

"Oh bugger off," she said, causing his smirk to grow. He looked down at the keyboard sitting in front of him, along with the mouse and sighed. "I can use the rat, it's just the typewriter I don't get."

Hermione was confused for a second, but then realized what he was saying. "Would you like me to show you?"

Draco looked up and shrugged, "Sure."

Hermione stood up and came around to his side of the desk. She leaned over to see what he was doing. As far as she could tell, nothing, "What do you need to get done?"

He handed her a file folder and she opened it, surprised to see the last will and Testament of Mr. Lucius Malfoy. She nodded and opened the application needed to type, then pointed to the mouse, "This is not a rat. This is a mouse, and that," she pointed toward what he had called a typewriter, "is a keyboard. It's just jargon, but very handy to know."

She watched as he nodded, pulling her onto his lap so that she could get a better angle. "Alright, now how do I put these records into digital form?"

Hermione pointed towards the paper, "You copy it word-for-word."

"That will take forever," Draco leaned his head back, closing his eyes, "I really don't want to be here."

"Too bad, Mr. Malfoy, we have some issues to discuss. If you don't mind," the man standing in the doorway looked at Hermione pointedly. She realized this wasn't the most professional position to be found in, so she jumped up. "Terribly sorry, sir."

The man nodded, ushering the rest of the group in, "If you don't mind, Miss Granger, we would like to speak with Mr. Malfoy alone."

Hermione looked over at Draco, remembered why she was following him around, and shook her head, "I'm sorry sir. I'm not authorized to leave him alone."

One of the men had horn-rimmed glasses, which he peered over at her words, "Miss Granger, this is confidential business."

Hermione brought herself up to full height, "I am currently employed to protect Mr. Malfoy, which I take very seriously. His parents were just murdered, one of whom worked in this office. I am not about to leave him alone until the murderer is caught. If you would like to risk his life-"

"Miss Granger, he is not going to be attacked in the hour it takes us to have our meeting." Hermione felt her temper spurt at the interruption, but she kept herself in check, "If you wish for me to leave, perhaps you should speak with my superior." She wasn't sure if the entire board was wizards, but she didn't wish to take a chance. She was sure to stay vague on why she is assigned to protect Draco. "I suggest you get on with your meeting, time is money."

The man puffed up, his face turning a deep shade of purple. Hermione didn't let that faze her, she wasn't a stranger to dealing with temper tantrums.

"Gentlemen, I would like to discuss the company's finances and where we go from here. As I have seen, most of the money is still held in my father's name. What is it you wish to do with our stocks?"

The man turned his attention away from Hermione, facing his new boss instead. "Well Mr. Malfoy, I believe it would be best if we sold part of the stock, giving you less to deal with."

"Are you implying that I am not capable of running this company?" Draco asked, an edge to his voice. The man with the horn-rimmed glasses stood, "No sir, we merely think it would be a good idea to have a few buyers in the company. If you support a few local companies, then your face value would be more."

Draco raised an eyebrow, as did Hermione. This man was obviously lying. He tripped over his words as he spoke and sweat pooled on his forehead. Hermione didn't dare say anything though. Draco took care of that, "I believe you may want to rephrase yourself sir. Having more companies holding stock would take away from my control. I do not wish for some know-it-all business man to think he knows better than I do and try to take my company from me. The stocks will continue to stay in my possession."

The men all shifted uncomfortably, obviously trying to find control of the conversation again. "Mr. Malfoy, if you would just conside-"

"No, we are not going to sell out my company. My father left it for me to run and I will run it the same way it has been run for four years, without outside help. Now if you gentleman could please move on to the next topic, I would greatly appreciate it."

The Chairman, who was also the man who got so upset with Hermione, shook his head, "You really should consider it. As I see though, you are not going to budge. Alright, our next order of business, closing down section 5."

"Section 5, Why?" Draco's face contorted in confusion, "Section 5 gives the best PR."

The man nodded, "They are outshining the rest of the sections. We've had a few people resign, claiming they feel they have no chance of going anywhere."

Draco scoffed, "That's ridiculous, I'm not going to lay-off an entire section that deserves to be rewarded."

The old man shook his head, "Draco, Draco, Draco, this is what needs to be done."

Draco stood up, looking tall, lean, and intimidating, "If this board doesn't stop trying to cause my company to go under, I am going to fire all of you and hire a new board. Now if you will leave me be, I have some work to finish up, unless you have anything else to add."

The other 7 members shook their heads, having not said anything at all. Hermione could only guess that they were just lackey's, bound to do the chair's bidding. They all turned and left, reluctantly followed by the chair and the man with the horn-rimmed glasses.

"They just wanted to see if they could run me. My father never let them get away with that stuff, which means I'm not going to either." Draco rubbed his temples and turned back to his computer.

Hermione decided it would be safer to pull up a chair. He looked over at her while she took the file and began to type. She smiled without looking at him, hoping to solve his problems. Well, at least solve his current problems.

* * *

"Hermione, are you ready?"

Hermione came out of Draco's room with a cotton shift on. Around her waist was a black belt, with contrasted nicely with the red. On her feet was a pair of low-heeled strappy shoes. Draco, Harry, and Ron were all three standing in the kitchen waiting for her, and all three of them stared as she walked down the hallway.

"Wow 'mione," Ron said, earning a sharp glare from Draco. Luckily, he didn't catch it.

Harry walked forward and hugged her, "Good, you look like you are going to have a nice visit. Let's hope the police men believe it. We all know our parts, so I think we're ready."

Hermione nodded at Harry, going over the plan in her head. They were going to head to her parents house first, just to make it look as though they were expecting to visit. They would leave fingerprints, then they would go to the station. Hopefully, it would show that Hermione was innocent.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Draco asked, concern lining his voice. Ron looked at him, startled by his tone. As much as Hermione would wish that they could become friend, she had no hope. The only thing they had in common was Hermione, which they both tried to ignore. "Yes, I need to do this."

The car ride north took about an hour, and it was the longest hour Hermione had ever spent. She cried most of the way there, having to stop and fix her make-up multiple times. Harry was driving, mostly because neither Ron nor Draco knew how to. This left them in the backseat, ignoring each other for the first half and bickering the second.

It got so bad that Harry finally had to turn and tell them to shut the hell up or he was turning around. Hermione had smiled at that, even through the tears.

When they arrived into the small town, Hermione gave Harry directions to her childhood home. It seemed so familiar to her, the small houses that looked much older than they were, all of the children playing in the street, mothers gathered talking to each other, it was her dream to live in a place like this.

Her parents' home loomed in front of her, and she felt the tears coming again. She had to hold it together, at least for the neighbors. Harry found her hand as they drove up, giving it a reassuring squeeze. She smiled weakly back, knowing that she had someone to support her. As long as she had those 3, she could play her part.

"Let's go," she said, stepping out of the car a second before the boys. Her mother's car was still in the driveway. Hermione assumed her father's car was around back, the same place he had parked it every day since they had moved there.

The pathway was beautiful, as though it had recently been gardened. She could still picture her mother, outside planting flowers and pulling weeds. Tears welled up, but she was able to keep them at bay.

With a shaky hand, Hermione raised the knocker and banged three times. To her surprise, the door swung open immediately, her father's face coming into her view. She stood there for a moment, staring. Screams echoed in her ears as she saw this man, her father, standing before her.

"Hermione, what in the world are you doing here?"

* * *

Ahh! Cliff hanger!

Don't you love it. Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I felt you all deserved it. I know I started another story, but since I'm nearing the end, this one if flowing so smoothly. Now I'm having trouble with that one.

Anyway, tell me what you think. I love hearing back from you.

Always Remember to Love,

Until we Meet Again,

Ms. Darcy


	9. A Slice of Epiphany

_A Slice of Epiphany_  
Chapter 9

_It's too big,_ Eltanin thought, setting his bag down next to his bedroom door. His mother had walked him up and was now looking down at him with excitement in her eyes, "Don't you love it."

Eltanin had always been raised to be polite, and this was no exceptions. "It's great," he said cheerfully, putting on a smile. His mom nodded, and backed away, "You make yourself at home while I go and check on Jeanette."

He wanted to follow her, to stay with Jeanette, but he had to be brave. That's what Grandpa always told him, "You're a Malfoy, never show fear." A tear escaped Elt's eyes as he thought about his Grandma and Grandpa. His Daddy had told him that they had been sick. That they had "passed away". At the time, Eltanin hadn't understood what his father meant, but he knew better than to ask more questions. Daddy was too upset to answer any questions. So he went to the next best thing, Miss Hermione. She explained that his Grandparents had died. This had surprised him, Elt had never known anyone who died. He remembered how sad Miss Hermione was, and how she had smiled when he curled up in her lap.

"_Are you sad because of Grandpa and Grandma?" Eltanin had asked her, wanting to make her feel better. _

_ She nodded, kissing him on the forehead, "Yes." Tears ran down her cheeks as she looked at him. Though he didn't know how, he knew there was something else wrong. "Miss Hermione, can I ask you a question."_

_ "Yes Elt?" She had pulled away and was now studying him with her eyes._

_ "Why else are you sad?"_

_ More tears ran down her face and she let out a small laugh, "It's complicated."_

_ Elt stood up, bringing himself to full height on the floor in front of her, "You should tell me. It will make you feel better, plus I get complicated stuff very easy."_

_ Miss Hermione rolled her eyes, laughing down at him, "I know you do. It's just hard to talk about." _

_ Elt had accepted that, mostly because he could see the pain in her eyes, "Well it's going to be okay and I will always be here."_

Eltanin sighed and sat on his bed, looking around the room that he would be staying in for the next two days. _It's too white_, he thought, touching the white satin pillowcase. This was nothing like what he thought his Mom's house would be like. He had imagined she lived in a house like his Daddy's, or even Teddy's house.

The locket on his neck felt heavy as he touched it. _I miss my Daddy, _he thought.

Before he could begin unpacking though, Jeanette walked through his door, "Hey there Kiddo, are you getting settled?"

Eltanin shook his head glancing behind Miss Jean. He didn't see his mother, so he felt it was safe to talk to her, "I miss my Daddy. I want to go home."

Miss Jean sat down beside him and hugged him, "No, I think you should stay here. Maybe after a few days you'll start to like it here."

_A few days? We're only going to be here a few days, not get used to it._ Eltanin looked around the white room again and felt cold. That's what the house was missing, warmth. At his house, he was always warm and cozy. Willow always made sure there was a fire going or lots of blankets to go around. There was color and excitement, not dull and boring. "We're going home tomorrow evening," Eltanin said rudely, standing up. He didn't like the idea of staying for a long time.

Jeanette stood with him, patting his head, "You'll start to love it here, you'll see. I'm going to send an owl to your Dad telling him we'll be staying over for a few more days."

Eltanin looked up at her, betrayal slicing through him. He didn't want to stay here, he wanted to go home. He was willing to stay to make his mom happy, but more time was too much. "Miss Jean?"

"You just get unpacked. Don't worry, I'll work it all out."

She exited the room and Eltanin felt even colder. He was alone. He touched the locket around his neck again, trying to decide if this was an emergency.

_Malfoy's are brave_, his Grandpa had said. Well then he could be brave too.

* * *

The tears flowed freely as Hermione stared up into the face of her once deceased father. She felt light-headed and her knees went weak. Someone caught her around the waist as she collapsed, but she was too distracted to tell who. "Daddy?" she asked, any sense of bravery gone from her bravado.

"Hermione," she felt her father reach out and pull her into his arms, stumbling against her weight. The arms that were around her were now underneath her, ready to catch her if her father dropped her. She looked up to see Draco, confusion in his eyes.

"Martha, get some blankets." Before she could say anything to Draco, she felt herself being whisked away into the house of her childhood. Pictures lined the walls, just like they had before she had left. Her mother emerged in the entryway to the kitchen, a shocked look on her face. Hermione let out a squeak of surprise, "Mom, you're alive!"

A surprised look crossed over her mother's features, "Of course I'm alive dear, what would have happened to me?"

Her father sat her on the couch, cupping her face in his hands, "What is this about?"

Tears were streaming down her face as she sat up, hugging his neck. "Dad, I need you and mom to answer a question, please." She pulled back when she felt her father nod. Her mother was standing behind him, her hand on his shoulder. With a deep breath, she rubbed her neck, "When I was a kid, what was the one thing I always wanted to change about myself?"

Her mother and father smiled, "Your teeth dear," they said together.

Hermione heard Draco laugh, and look over to him. He composed his face quickly, coughing to cover his laugh, "Sorry."

Her father's eyes narrowed and he stood up, "I don't believe we've met. I know Harry and Ron, but not you. I'm Graham Granger."

Hermione opened her mouth to answer for him, but he reached around Harry to shake her father's hand, "Draco Malfoy, sir. I'm currently in a relationship with your daughter."

Mr. Granger's eyes flashed to Ron and then back to Draco, "Oh, I see."

Her mother sat down next to her, wrapping her arm around Hermione's shoulder, " Now 'Mi, tell me what you meant about me being alive."

The memories of her mother's screams echoed in Hermione's ears, as though she were hearing it all over again. She wrapped her arms around her mother's waist, feeling as though she were ten years old again. "I was, I was kidnapped."

Mr. Granger sat down next to her then, enveloping Hermione into a hug, "Why didn't anyone tell us?"

Harry spoke up then, "It was my fault. I didn't want the press getting a hold of this. So I kept it quiet."

Graham glared at Harry, clearly not amused, "You still could have informed us that our daughter was missing."

Harry was cool under her father's gaze, "I was more concerned with finding her, sir. I'm very sorry and it won't happen again. "

Martha nodded, "It had better not, but that still doesn't explain why you are so upset dear."

Hermione took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, "Whenever I was being held captive, they tricked me. They tried to force me to give up a little boy in exchange for your lives." She glanced over at Draco, who had furrowed his brow. She had been reluctant to inform him of that part of her story. Her heart was crippled at the thought of anything happening to Eltanin. She couldn't imagine what Draco would go through.

"And you believed them, Dear?" Her father questioned. He still had trouble grasping just how powerful magic can be. Of course, he didn't remember the year and a half he and Mrs. Granger had spent in Australia. Hermione had restored their memory to before she had modified them, but that part of their lives would be lost forever.

She sighed and hugged her father some more, trying to grasp the situation, "I've spent the past week thinking you were dead. Though I know it's not true, it's hard to grasp."

Her mother brushed her hair back from her face, "We're alright, no one is going to get us."

A sob escaped Hermione's mouth as she tried to smile. Her parents were safe. Whoever's screams she had heard were not her parents, and that was a good thing.

Harry allowed her another few minutes of reassurance before he motioned that he needed speak with her. She knew what he was going to say, and it was not something she wanted to hear. Swallowing the fear she felt as she left the room, she and Harry left to speak in the kitchen. The last thing she heard was her father saying, "So what happened to you and Hermione? I thought you two were going to get married."

She groaned inwardly at the question and instead focused on Harry. The happiness she felt was the complete opposite of what Harry's face showed, "Hermione, I don't know if the people sitting in there are your parents."

Hermione, knowing this was coming, shook her head, "It's them, I know it's them."

Harry shook his head also, "You can't be completely sure."

Hermione sighed, "They have to be my parents Harry, If they aren't I don't know what I'll do." She broke off as sobs escaped her mouth. In the back of her mind, she knew Harry was right. They could be imposters, but her heart wanted them to be real. She wanted the screams and the horror to be a bad memory. As much as she wished it, though, Harry was always right. "I'll stay here. If I wait and see how they act at home, maybe I'll be able to tell if it's a potion or a spell."

"What if it really is them, but they are being controlled. You could be in danger," Harry looked worried as he watched her, that Hermione started to question herself. Should she make herself a target? If her parents were still dead and the two sitting in the living room were imposters, they could attack her whenever she fell asleep.

Then, there was Draco. How could she leave him alone? With Eltanin gone, Draco will be feeling very lonely. Also, whoever is after Eltanin could also be after Draco. His look of confusion crossed her mind, and she realized that it wasn't only confusion, it was pain. She didn't even realize what finding that her parents are alive could be doing to him.

"You're right Harry, I won't stay." The hurt that these words caused brought tears to her eyes. If they really were her parents, they were in danger. She couldn't leave them unprotected. "We have to send someone to watch over my parents, though."

Harry nodded, pulling her into a hug, "I'm going to ask Ron to stay and watch the place. Then I'll owl another Auror and have him watch Ron. I still don't trust him. Kingsley has been talking about demoting him."

Hermione shrugged, "It'd be for his own good, perhaps knock him down a notch. Has he said anything about the Cannons?"

Harry sighed, "They didn't sign him at the last minute. It was pretty sad, the way they told him. He showed up to the first practice and the Captain let him down really easy, but it was still embarrassing for him."

Hermione wrapped her arms around her waist, "I didn't know they hadn't signed him. So is he giving up then?"

"No, Puddlemere will sign him next season. They really want a part of the trio on the team," and the mention of Puddlemere, Hermione tested her heart. It seemed to be working just fine, the memory just that, a memory. Instead, it was Draco who she cared for, and longed to be with. With another nod, Hermione turned to go back to her parents. She could still hear voices as she turned into where her parents were sitting. A part of her brain was still worried she would close her eyes and they would disappear again.

That didn't happen though, as soon as she turned, her parents were still sitting on the loveseat, having an in depth conversation about Malfoy Enterprises. It seemed that at the mention of a company he recogonized, Graham Granger had warmed up to the man that may one day be supporting his daughter.

* * *

Later that evening, Draco held open the door to his flat for Hermione, who smiled up at him as she walked past. He smiled back at her, but he knew it didn't reach his eyes. Her face dropped as she noticed this, but she didn't question him. _That's the type of woman you have to hold onto, _he told himself.

Instead of pestering him, she just walked into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. He followed suit, although he poured firewhiskey instead of water. The liquid burned as it went down his throat, but it wasn't unpleasant. Again she frowned at him, but she didn't say anything.

Draco took his drink and went to sit on the couch, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. He heard Hermione rustling around next to him, but he didn't say anything nor did he open his eyes. So when she laid her head on his shoulder, he was surprised.

As though it were a reflex, his arm went around her shoulders and pulled her closer. He thought of her face when she saw her parents, still alive, and felt an unfamiliar knot in his stomach. Slowly, he looked down at her and found that she was watching him. "It's impolite to stare," he joked, laying his head against the back of the couch.

She gave him a half-smile, "Not when you can't take your eyes off of the person."

He thought about it for a second, then chuckled, "No, I'm fairly certain you are still staring." He pulled her close and maneuvered them so that he could lay down with her next to him. While he was on his back, her chin was resting on his chest and she was still staring at him. He stared back, his eyes narrowed. Before he could say anything, she narrowed hers also and sighed, "Well something is wrong and I'm just trying to figure it out."

"You can't read my mind," he said matter-of-factly, "No matter how hard you try."

Hermione scoffs, "I'm the smartest witch you know, I could do anything."

Draco laughed and nodded, "This is true, you could, except for reading my mind." He laid his head back down, but he could still feel her eyes on him. "I know you want to ask me something."

Hermione nodded, and he peeked from behind his eyelids, "Well go ahead and ask then."

She shook her head this time, laying her cheek against his chest, "I'll wait. I can be patient." Draco grinned to himself and sat up, bringing Hermione with him, "Alright, you talked me into it."

With a grin, she sat back on her knees and looked at him expectantly. He sighed and crossed his arms, "I'm worried, about a couple of things actually. You remember how Daphne ran up too me at the manor. I feel uneasy about that day. I just can't figure out what it is that is so upsetting."

Of course, that wasn't the only part that he found disturbing. A part of him was extremely cautious of the Grangers. They may have fooled Weasel and Harry, but they sure didn't pass his test. He wasn't about to voice this concern to Hermione, but it was still a concern.

Her face became thoughtful as he watched her, wondering if she knew what he was talking about. After about a minute, she shook her head, "I can't remember what she said, do you?"

Draco sighed and leaned his elbows on his knees, "No, I don't. I've been trying to, but nothing seems to be breaking free. I remember that she was talking about taking Elt, and that she wanted us to come live with her, but that's all I can remember."

Hermione spoke up, "And she was calling me incompetent, I remember that because she actually has a case on that."

Draco shook his head, "No, they don't. Hermione, could I ask you a question?"

She seemed surprised, but nodded anyway, "Of course."

He didn't know how he was going to ask this, but he had already decided that he needed to know, "What happened when you were kidnapped? Not just what happened to you, but why did they take you?"

Hermione took a deep breath as Draco watched her, intent on her face. He was hoping that since her parents were still alive, she could actually discuss those couple of days. In the end, his patients paid off. She leaned her head against the back of the couch and sighed, "They took me hoping I would exchange the life of my parents for Eltanin. I refused to do so. They blinded me, so I couldn't see, but I could hear everything." She continued to tell her story, pushing her way through the parts where her parents had screamed. By the end of it, Draco was holding her and tears were falling freely down her face once again. He marveled in her strength and how much she cared for his son.

Looking down into her face, he couldn't help but be surprised. A few years ago, she had loathed him. He had been on the wrong side, pledging his allegiance to the Dark Lord. Despite everything he had done wrong, here she sat, telling him about how she would have sacrificed her parents to keep his little boy safe. "You are the most amazing person I've ever met," he said, leaning down a kissing her gently.

She laughed against his lips, "Except for you of course."

He shook his head and grinned, "No, I think you may trump me too."

He loved the feel of her lips on his and the way she fit perfectly into his arms. As they kissed, he started thinking about how she was with Eltanin, how much he loved her, and how, without even trying, she had become more of a mother to him than Daphne ever was.

She wrapped her arms around her neck and he pulled her even closer, running his hands down her sides. The kiss deepened and they were both flooded with the splendor of finally having someone that was a perfect for each other. Once again, he didn't feel as though he were just kissing anyone, he felt like he was kissing Hermione Granger. She wasn't just some bimbo on the street, she a know-it-all that still got on his nerves, but she brought out something in him that he had never seen before. Whenever he was with her, she seemed to tone him down, making him want to be a good person.

She was also quite a good kisser, matching his rhythm perfectly. They were so caught up with each other that they didn't even notice the owl that had just flown in the window. Draco didn't know how long it had been waiting or rather it had been ordered to, but a sharp poke on his head brought him back to reality. He pulled back and tried to find to purpose of his pain. A large eagle owl sat on the back of the couch, its leg held out. He looked at Hermione, and was very surprised by what he saw.

She was the same Hermione he had been looking at earlier, but she had changed. Her cheeks were flushed and her hair was a little rumpled where he had run his hands through. She was breathing deeply, looking as though she were still lost in the kiss. Ignoring the owl, he pulled her to him again and crushed his lips on hers. Just as he expected, she responded. Her lips were soft and she smiled as they kissed. After a moment, she bit his lip, causing another feeling inside of him to erupt.

Wrapping his arms around her, he twisted so that she was on her back, the couch underneath her. He positioned himself on top of her, pulling her closer to him as he began kissing down her jaw to her neck. He could feel her pulse kick up as he kissed her, feel the way she pushed into him. Once again, he was wrapped up in her when the owl pecked his head once again.

"Bloody Hell," he said, pushing himself off of her and rubbing the back of his head, "That bird has a beak like a rock." She laughed at that, but it was a dark husky laugh. Her eyes were dark with wanting him, which made him want to ignore the bird once again. As though sensing his intention, the bird pecked his hand that was resting on the back of the couch. "Alright already," he said, taking the letter from its leg. "Are you happy?"

From beneath him, he heard her laugh again, "You do realize you are talking to an owl?"

"It's not like I talk to inanimate objects or anything."

As she continued to laugh, he looked over to the owl, who was still watching him. The envelope was think and heavy. The front is was addressed to Mr. Draco Malfoy, and he did not recognize the handwriting. With quick motions, he tore open the letter and read the enclosed notice.

_Dear Mr. Draco Malfoy,_

_ As you must already be aware, an investigation on the protection of your son and judgment of his father is underway. We have heard from reliable sources that the protector in present is still employed to "keep an eye" on you. Because of circumstances that have just raised, we have ordered for a Miss Hermione Granger to be escorted from your premises and taken into questioning. We have suspicions that she is involved in the activity that has been taking place at your home. Therefore, we have released a young Eltanin Malfoy into the custody of his mother until further notice. If you wish to refute this decision we suggest you get a negotiator or arrange for one to meet you here. If you wish to contact Eltanin directly, you must go through Mrs. Daphne Malfoy's negotiator, Blaise Zambini, and a Miss Jeanette Hughes._

_ Any further question may be sent back with this owl. We hope you have a pleasant evening and ministry officials will be arriving soon to escort Miss. Granger to the Ministry of Magic._

The letter was unsigned, leading Draco to believe that they wished to remain anonymous. He looked down at Hermione, who had sat up again the arm of the couch, "What is it?"

"You need to contact Harry now. As far as I can read, Ministry officials will be arriving here soon to take you away."

She looked confused, "What are you talking about?"

"Get Harry."

* * *

"Eltanin, dinner."

Elt sat at the top of the stairs with his chin in his hands. He hated it here and he wanted to go home. Uncle Blaise had shown up earlier and was telling him that he and Eltanin's mommy were getting married. He even had the nerve to say that Eltanin wouldn't need his daddy anymore.

He was wrong, and Eltanin wasn't going to let him try and take the place of his daddy.

"Eltanin, its dinner time."

With an exasperated sigh, Elt stood up and walked down the stairs to the kitchen. Instead of taking 5 seconds to get to the dining room, it took Eltanin an entire minute to reach his seat. Across the table from him sat Miss Jean, who was smiling at him. Elt didn't trust her anymore, she was acting to weird. At times her eyes would glaze over and she would ignore everything around her. He figured she was sick, but that still didn't explain why she was making him stay.

_Malfoy's are brave_, he heard in his head once again. The locket felt like a weight around his neck, but he knew he couldn't touch it. He would go home soon enough. Whenever two days were up, his daddy would come and get him. It wouldn't take long at all.

"Are you hungry Elt?" Uncle Blaise was smiling at him from the head of the table. In his glass was some red stuff, the gross red wine that his daddy refuses to drink. His daddy has class, but Uncle Blaise, he doesn't.

"Yes sir," he told him, knowing that if he told the truth he would get yelled at. Eltanin already told Uncle Blaise that he wasn't his daddy and his mommy had yelled at him for an hour.

The dinner went on silently, Elt praying the minutes until he could be in his room with Willow again. His mommy had banned Willow from going anywhere but Eltanin's room. He didn't understand this, but he still didn't question what she said.

"Eltanin, honey, why are you so upset? You should be happy that you are staying here. Don't you love it?"

Eltanin nodded to his mother, not wanting to sound bitter. "Yes, I like it very much." Even though Uncle Blaise and Miss Jean wouldn't let him leave, he wasn't going to hurt his mother's feelings. She was being nothing but nice.

` After dessert, Elt went up to his room and sat down on his bed, wishing the room had more color. Perhaps he could ask Willow for help. He glanced around the room, trying to find his best friend, but she was nowhere to be found. "Willow?" he asked, getting down on his knees and checking under the bed. She wasn't there. He walked over to the over-sized toy box and opened the lid, "Willow?" She wasn't here either.

He checked any other hiding place but they all came up the same, no Willow. He felt fear rise in his chest as he realized she was gone. Running out the door quickly, he ran to Miss Jean room. Using his fist, he started banging on the door, "Miss Jean, Miss Jean, I need help. "

The door opened and out stepped Uncle Blaise. His uncle looked down at him curiously, "What's wrong?"

"Where is Miss Jean?" Eltanin tried to look past him, but the door was shut before he could get a good view of the room.

"She had to go home. Jeanette didn't feel very well, so it's just you, me, and your Mom."

Eltanin felt his breath go out in a whoosh, "What? Just us?"

Uncle Blaise's smile grew, but it wasn't an "I'm happy smile." This smile told Elt exactly what he was thinking. He had one, and Eltanin knew it. "Where is Willow?"

His Uncle shook his head, "You don't need her. We have plenty of house-elves here."

"Will she be there when I get home?" Eltanin felt tears welling up in his eyes. He tried to push them away, he really did, but it didn't work. His uncle Blaise looked down at him, that same smirk on his face, "You are home."

* * *

Hermione watched as Draco paced back and forth, his wand in his hand, "Draco, stop stressing out. Harry said he would take care of it."

Draco nodded at her, not really listening, "If they even try to touch you."

She had to stop him, he looked as though he were going into an anxiety attack. Of course, who wouldn't in this situation. She picked up the letter again and read through it, "I can't believe Zambini did that to you."

As though pulling him out of a trance, Draco stopped pacing and sat down in the kitchen chair next to her. "I don't get it, what does he get out of all of this? He's been my negotiator for years, what changed his mind?"

Hermione cupped Draco's cheek, kissing him gently, "You need to calm down. We just need to prove that Zambini is wrong." She watched as he relaxed at her touch and smiled, "There you are, now we need to figure this out."

She read over the letter again, her brow furrowing. Pulling out her wand, she started muttering forgery spells to see if the letter was legit. She had been at it for a few minutes when she heard Draco gasp beside her. Looking up from her project, she watched as his eyes stared at her wand. "Does she even have a new wand yet?" he muttered, standing up from the table.

Hermione looked down at the wand and then back to Draco, "What are you saying?"

As if realizing she was there, Draco jumped back into the chair and grabbed her hands, "No one but Harry, Jean, Ron, and I knew that your wand had been split. Not even Ginny knew. I sure as hell didn't tell anyone. How did she know?"

Hermione was completely lost in what he was saying, "Maybe it got out?"

Draco shook his head, "It was only the four of us who knew."

Hermione was trying to process that fact that Draco was accusing Daphne of all this. It did make sense, Daphne was capable of anything when it came to getting what she wanted. She was even capable of murdering. Hermione thought back to those few days in the darkness, finally putting the final piece together. "Oh my God, Blaise Zambini is in it with her."

She thought about Daphne's shrill laugh in the Malfoy foyer, and Zambini's deep voice and matched them perfectly to the voices she had heard. "Eltanin is with them."

Draco nodded and stood up, "How quickly can Harry work?"

Hermione shrugged, "If he has incentive, and this is sure as hell incentive." Just as she had done many times before, Hermione conjured her otter and sent it to Harry, hoping that he could do anything to help them.

Just as the otter disappeared, Hermione felt a familiar burning sensation on her chest. She looked over to Draco, who was holding the charmed Galleon in his hand, looked up at her, "Eltanin."

* * *

Harry was sitting at Number 12 Grimmauld Place, enjoying a dinner with his family, when Kingsley Shacklebolt came through the front door. "Harry?" he said, a hint of panic to his voice. Harry stood up quickly and went to Kingsley, concern wrinkling his forehead.

"What is it?" he asked, feeling Ginny come up behind him. Kinglsey looked past Harry to Ginny, "I think you all should come with me. We've got a hint on who it was that attacked you, but we can't move in unless we know you are safe."

Ginny nodded, knowing not to question Kingsley's judgment, he was trained my Mad-Eye Moody after all. She hurried away to retrieve the children, but Harry stayed where he was. "That's not all, is it?"

Kinglsey shook his head, "I need you to get to the ministry now. Someone has planted an idea in their minds and they aren't backing down."

Harry froze, trying to figure out the problem, "What idea is that?"

Kingsley sighed, nodding to Ginny and she held Teddy and Albus, "They think Hermione is behind the attacks."

Harry laughed, although it was without amusement, "Why would they think that? You don't think that do you?"

Kingsley rolled his eyes, "Of course not, but I do know who started the rumor. I'm going to go after him soon."

Before any of them moved, a small Otter found its way into the house. Hermione's voice came from its mouth, "Draco says we need you here. Something has happened."

Behind the Otter, a fox bounded into the room, "I don't hold custody anymore, Daphne does. And authorities are coming after Hermione." Harry was surprised to find Draco's voice coming from within the fox. He didn't have long to speculate though, as he had to follow Kingsley to the fireplace. "You all go first, I suggest going to the ministry. Harry and I will follow."

Harry nodded as Ginny took the boys into the fireplace, "I love you," she said, before dropping the floor powder and saying, "Ministry of Magic."

Once they had disappeared, Harry turned to Kingsley, "Now what is it you aren't tell-" but he was cut off by a wand. Harry felt himself go flying across the room and hitting something solid, but that was the last thing he remembered.

* * *

Ginny Weasley walked through the Ministry of Magic, surprised by how quiet it was. It seemed as though there were nothing wrong, but Kingsley had been so insistent. She walked along the corridor to get to Harry's office when she was surprised to find Ron there. "Ronald, what are you doing?"

Ron looked up from the folder in his hand, "What are you talking about? I'm trying to get work done."

"What about Hermione?" she asked, setting Teddy down on the chair and Albus next to him. Ron looked completely puzzled as he stared at her.

"Gin, I don't know what you're talking about. I imagine she's with Malfoy, doing God knows what."

Momentarily side-tracked, Ginny zeroed in on Ron, "If you hadn't of been so stubborn then maybe she would still be with you."

Ron's ears went pink and he stood up from the desk, "That wasn't my fault. If she would have just been like every other woman-"

"So you wanted her to be something she isn't. That's why she's with Draco, Ron. He wants her to be exactly who she is." Ginny rubbed her temples and tried to find her place in the conversation, "That doesn't matter though. Why are the auror's after Hermione?"

Ron looked at her as though she were demented, "What are you talking about? Hermione isn't being brought in."

"Then why-" Ginny started to ask, but was interrupted by a deep voice at the door. She turned and found Kinglsey, the real Kingsley, staring back at her, "Oh I'm sorry. I was looking for Harry. I heard voices and assumed he came back. Why are you here Ginny?"

"Oh my god," Ginny said, before turning on Ron. "You stay here with the children. I'll be back," then she turned to Kingsley, "Someone came to our house impersonating you. Now I think Harry is in trouble."

Even as she spoke, the golden galleon in her pocket began to burn.

* * *

Harry woke up in a dark room, surrounded by rows and rows of books. He found it odd that he had just woken up inside of a library. This seemed more like Hermione's dream than Harry's.

_Hermione._ He thought, trying to stand up. His arms were tied behind his back, stuck to the chair. He tried pulling them loose, but it was no use. They must have been magically bonded to him. He tried to move his feet, but wasn't surprised when he couldn't move them either. He felt like he was on the edge of panic when he heard a familiar voice, "Harry?"

Harry turned his head to the right and sighed when he spotted Jeanette, in the same position he was in. "Jean, what happened?"

She shook her head, tears falling down her face, "It was awful. I know you trained us to resist the Imperius curse, but it's harder when they actually want you under. The things I said to Eltanin." A sob escaped her throat as Harry watched her.

"Jean," he said slowly, "Are we at Daphne's home?"

Jeanette nodded, looking him in the eye, "It was them all along. They wanted Eltanin. They are planning on raising him to be a dark wizard. They are trying to get rid of all _bad_ influences. You should have seen what they did to poor Willow."

Harry watched as she fell apart and tried to keep it together himself. "Look Jean, we have to get out of here."

She shook her head, "I tried Harry, I really tried."

Harry tried to maneuver his hands so that he could reach for his wand. Fortunately, he could still feel it in his pocket. Whoever was working with Daphne must have left in a rush. He sat in the chair, wiggling himself further and further down the chair. After what seemed like hours, Harry was finally able to get a hold of the tip of his wand. He pulled it up into his palm and pointed it at the ropes, "flamma," he said, relieved to feel the ropes loosen and his hands free. His did the same to his feet then went and freed Jeanette. "We need to get Eltanin and get out of her."

"Harry?" another voice said, this one Male and muffled. Harry followed the voice, finding an old trunk pushed up against the wall. Gently, Harry opened the top and was surprised to find Ron laying in the bottom. "They aren't her real parents. Her real parents are here somewhere."

* * *

Ah, another Chapter. The story is wrapping up very nicely. I hope you all enjoyed it. I replied to one of my reviews, because they asked the question about Eltanin's name. I'm sorry I forgot to specify what was so significant about his name. The star Eltanin (Gamma Draconis) is the brightest star in the Constellation Draco.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for all of you who reviewed. You guy are absolutely amazing! Oh, and I was also going to tell you guys that I'm up to almost 5000 reads. I know it's not much, but it pretty much made me tear up from happiness. Thank you so much for the support!

Always Remember to Love,

Until We Meet Again,

Ms. Darcy


	10. Pain in Triumph

Chapter 10  
_Pain in Triumph_

The room was dark as Hermione sat at Draco's kitchen table, his eyes intent on her face. A golden galleon lay between them both, the numbers around the outside had changed to a familiar set, the coordinates to Daphne's home. Hermione had her head in her hands and she was trying to stay calm. She couldn't believe Draco wasn't freaking out as much as she was. It was his son that was in the hands of the bad guys, yet he was keeping his cool and comforting her. "Just stay calm; it won't do us any good to rush in there without a plan."

"How can you just sit here and not do anything, it's ridiculous."

He shook his head, rubbing his hand down her back, "Believe me, I'm fighting the urge to just go and kill Blaise myself, but we have to think this through. It will help no one if we act rashly."

It was as though someone had plunged ice-cold water into her veins, "We have to get him back Draco, we have too." Tears sprang to her eyes and she imagined how scared Eltanin must be. She had told him that the locket was for emergencies, and he was expecting them to come and save them. "We need to leave whether we have a plan or not. He could be in a lot of trouble." She grabbed his hands and looked him in the eye, hoping he could see the seriousness of what is happening, "I can't let anything happen to him. Eltanin means too much to me."

Draco placed a finger under her chin and gently tugged, bringing her eyes to his, "Eltanin is strong. Daphne may have taken him from me but she would never hurt him. She may be a horrible mother, but she loves him just as I do. For now, Elt will be okay. He is just scared."

Hermione shook her head, "If she loved Eltanin as much as we do, she would have never given him over to Zambini." She hadn't meant to say 'we', but that was how she felt. Whenever she held Eltanin, she felt like more than just a nanny, she had taken the place Daphne had never filled. When Elt looked up at her, a motherly affection flowed through her.

With a jolt, Hermione realized she had gone silent. She looked up to Draco to find his plan of action and found his eyes thoughtful. Hermione watched him, waiting for permission to finally leave. She painstakingly waited for a good 30 seconds before he responded. Even when he did, she could tell he was arguing with himself. "Look, I want more than anything to apparate over there and take my son back, but I can't. We have to be smart about this. Daphne may not be very clever, but Blaise has always been the smartest man I know."

"We can outwit Zambini, I know it."

Draco nodded, pulling her to her feet, "Which is why we have to be unpredictable. He's expecting us to storm to Daphne's manor and blow down the doors. Instead, we have to be careful and plot out our every move."

Nodding in understanding, Hermione pulled him to her and rested her cheek against his chest. "I just want him back."

She felt Draco nod, then stiffened when he gasped, "Ginny?"

"Who was the first boy I kissed?" Ginny's voice rung out only a mere two feet from Hermione's ear. She heard Draco chuckle, "How do you expect me to know that?"

Ginny's voice held no amusement though, "I asked Hermione. Who was it?"

Hermione pulled out of Draco's embrace, looking her best friend in the eye, "Louis Flanging when you were six years old. He ran away from you."

Ginny's face relaxed and she pulled Hermione into a hug, "They have Harry. Whoever it was that attacked us, they've captured Harry."

"How could this happen?" Draco asked, unbelieving. Hermione could understand his astonishment. Anyone who didn't know Harry would be surprised to find that he could be taken off guard. They viewed him as the savior of the Wizarding World, a man who is always on his game. Moody's words echoed in Hermione's hand as she watched Ginny, _Constant Vigilance._

Before Ginny could answer, Hermione opened her mouth, "What was Ron's nickname for me?" Hermione hated having to question Ginny, but it was necessary. Her mind remembered the many nights trapped in a tent with only Harry and Ron as company. Just because someone acted right, didn't mean they actually were.

Ginny smiled up at Hermione, sharing a quick look with Draco, "You were his Cinder and he was your Prince."

Hermione felt her cheeks burn, nodding towards Ginny in affirmation. Though she couldn't see, Draco had a deep scowl on his face. Ginny couldn't read his mind, but it was obvious that he didn't enjoy that question.

There wasn't enough time for them to dwell though. Ginny reminded them that Harry had been kidnapped, but Draco interrupted her. "I repeat my earlier question, How could this happen?"

Hermione rested her hand on his chest and smiled, "Harry doesn't think about himself. He has to make sure everyone else is okay before he can begin to think of himself. For this reason, he gets himself into some very compromising and dangerous situations." Though her words were a bit harsh, they were said with sisterly affection. In Hermione's opinion, this was the reason Harry was able to defeat Lord Voldemort. It wasn't because he was a better wizard or that he was lucky, it was that he cared more about what happened to those he loved than his own well-being. Luckily, that trait had also rubbed off on Hermione. "Alright, we have to go and get him. Where are the boys?"

Ginny pulled back, a determined look on her face, "They are with Ron. I wanted them out of harm's way."

Hermione agreed that that was probably for the best. It wouldn't do any good to be worrying about where the boys were. "Let's get to it then."

Draco narrowed his eyes at her, "You are serious then? Just go in and hope for the best?"

Hermione shook her head, pulling out her wand and studying the Galleon, "No, I know it's going to work out for the best."

Ginny memorized the coordinates also, and then went to hand it to Draco. He shook his head, "I already know where it's at."

Hermione shook her head though, motioning toward the coin, "You have to memorize those exact coordinates. The house is surely protected, but with the numbers on the galleon we will be transported directly to Eltanin."

"Then you'll get him out and Hermione and I will go in search of Harry."

Draco still did not take the coin. He wasn't fond of Hermione running about Daphne's manor without him. "Fine, but we'll work out the rest of the details after Elt is safe."

* * *

Ron was dirty and cranky, a dark purple bruise lining the side of his face. Harry was trying to open the double doors to the library as Jean tried to get the story out of Ron. The problem was that he didn't remember much. "You all left and I got hit over the head. That's the last thing I remember before I woke up in that trunk."

Jeanette pulled out her wand and began healing Ron's bruises and scrape, while also cleaning him up in the process. "They obviously didn't like you."

Harry glanced over at Ron then walked swiftly over to the door. Reaching out to grasp the handle, a bolt of electricity jumped from the handle to his hand, causing him to gasp in surprise. This time, Harry extended his wand and muttered under his breath. The small click of the lock alerted the other two in the room that the door was now away. "Nice going Harry."

Harry nodded and opened the door a crack, looking both ways before turning back to Jean and Ron. "We need to find Eltanin and Hermione's parents, after that we can get out of here," Jeanette said, now standing next to Harry. Harry nodded and turned to exit the room, groaning at the site of Pansy Parkinson standing in their way. Her hair was greasy and falling around her face. She had her nose scrunched up in distaste, looking even more pug-like in her adult life.

"Where do you think you are going?" she snarled, brandishing her wand. As though on instinct, Jean brought her wand up to duel her. The laugh that echoed through the room brought chills to all three victims. "You really think you can defeat me? Put your wand away, silly girl."

She sounded so much like Bellatrix that Harry backed away. His voice, though hesitant, was strong, "What are you doing here?"

She turned her eyes to him, silently summoning all three of their wands. Harry tried to grab at the piece of wood as it slipped through his fingers. With another crackling laugh, Pansy sneered, "Inviting you to tea, what does it look like? You all are our prisoners. Don't worry though, we will be… using you soon enough." A shriek erupted from her lips, turning abruptly into laughs as she turned away and locked the door back behind her. The trio in the library waited a few moments until her footsteps faded before speaking again, "We've got to find Eltanin."

Ron, who had been silent through the entire encounter, sat down in the chair Harry had awoken in, "Bloody Hell, she's just as insane as she was at Hogwarts."

Jeanette nodded and then sat in her chair, "I didn't know her like you all did, but she sounds like a right terror to be around." Her head slumped on the back of the chair and she heaved an exasperated sigh, "What's the plan now boss?"

"I don't know Jean, I just don't know."

Jean peered through her eyelids and smiled a small smile, "You're supposed to say 'don't call me boss.' Then I grin and say 'got it boss.'" Ron looked at her like she was insane, but Harry just shook her off. She merely shrugged and closed her eyes once again, "I was just trying to lighten the mood."

Ron nudged her with his elbow, "This is not funny. Eltanin is being held captive by those freaks, which means he's probably scared."

Harry and Jean gave him a strange look, which caused him to blush and turn away from them, "What? The little guy grew on me."

The other two laughed, shaking their heads in disbelief. "I thought you believed the Malfoys to be a family straight out of the pits of hell."

Ron raised and lowered his shoulders nonchalantly, "I suppose they aren't that bad."

Harry nodded, grabbing the door handle and trying to wrench it open. He gritted his teeth as the electric shock traveled up his arm. It wasn't under the pain reached his should that he let go. He briefly lost feeling in his hand for a moment before a familiar prickling sensation started at the tips of his fingers. In an attempt to gain some confidence, Harry looked back over at his _cellmates_.

Unfortunately, they looked as though they had given up all hope. Harry felt a spurt of annoyance as he watched them. Sure, Jeanette had not participated in the Second War, but Harry had trained her personally. Everything he knew, every spell he could accomplish, she could also. Now she just looked lost and broken.

Ron, who had been his best mate since he was eleven, looked just as wiped. His face showed every emotion that was passing across his mind. It was obvious he felt responsible, as though Elt's kidnapping were his fault. Harry stopped trying to escape and walked over to the two aurors. "It's all going to work out. You know that Hermione is more than capable of finding us. Hell, she even saved our arse multiple times while on the run. Once Ginny gets to the ministry and finds that I didn't show up, she'll go straight to Hermione."

A sudden thought crossed Harry's mind, realizing that what he just said wasn't true. She would first try and find her brother. The problem with this was that her brother was standing right in front of him. Harry had seen Ron, _talked _to him while he was at work earlier. His stomach flip-flopped as he imagined his wife and children in trouble. "I'm going to kill that son-of-a-bitch."

Ron and Jean, who were unable to follow Harry's thoughts, rose quickly to assist him. "What are you talking about mate?"

Harry, now grief stricken, placed his head in his hands, "He's got my family."

Both aurors stood up at this bit of information. Ron, his face growing even redder, ran right up to the door and tried to pull it open. "Think they can hurt my sister and nephews. I'll rip his head off, I will."

Jean, sure that he was going to hurt himself, pulled him off the door and tried to talk sense into him, "The door doesn't work, we've seen that. It's time we got creative."

Harry had absolutely no idea what she was talking about, but she must have had a plan. After a moment of hesitation, she walked over to the corner of the library and pointed to a vent, "That's how we get out. "

Harry grinned from ear to ear, "That's my girl," he said proudly, walking over and pulling the covering off. She grinned back, laughing when Ron mumbled something about 'I could of thought of that'.

"Ladies first," Harry said, motioning for her to take the lead. She gave him a strange look, not sure what to do. Harry, who still had a goofy grin on his face, just motioned towards the hole, "It is your plan, so you get the glory."

Jeanette nodded, walking over to the vent and crawling inside, "Okay boss, let's get out of here."

She head a chuckle behind her and Harry answer, "Don't call me boss."

Jean, loving that he was finally playing along, retorted, "Okay boss."

* * *

It didn't take long for Draco, Hermione, and Ginny to formulate a plan. Draco's only concern was to get Eltanin and get out, which he wasn't happy about. He wasn't particularly fond of leaving Hermione and Ginny behind to look for Harry, but Ginny appeased him by reminding him of the Bat-Bogey Hex she was more than capable of performing.

The coin felt heavy in Draco's hand as he stared at the numbers that would lead him to his son. His heart clutched when he thought of what Blaise did. They had been best friends since they were first years and now he was stabbing Draco in the back. The pain of it could have crippled him had Eltanin not been on the line. At this very moment, the only thing keeping Draco going was that his son was in trouble.

Finally, they all three had the coordinates memorized and they were ready to go. Draco could feel the anger threatening to take over, but he would deal with Blaise later. First and foremost was his son. He looked down at Hermione and was comforted by the smile she was sending him. With that one look, she was telling him that everything would be okay. They would save him. "We'll save him," Draco stated wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Hermione nodded, wrapping an arm around his waist, "It's going to be alright. We'll get him back." She didn't add _we have to_, but Draco could still hear it in her voice. Placing a kiss to her forehead, he gave her a gentle squeeze before letting her go. He looked over at Ginny, who was gently drying her eyes. He admired her for the strength she was showing, the same strength he was unknowingly showing to Hermione.

As he watched her, Ginny smiled and pulled out her wand. She nodded at Hermione, "At least this time I'll be involved from the start."

Hermione nodded, pulling her friend into a quick hug before pulling out her own wand, "I never did agree with leaving you behind."

Ginny nodded and brought a fierce looking to face. Hope settled in Draco's mind as he pulled out his own wand. He feared that he wouldn't be able to save Eltanin, that Blaise would get to him first, but Ginny would never let that happen. She looked at Elt as though he were one of her own. If Draco failed, then Ginny would make sure his son survived. She wouldn't leave him with Daphne and Blaise, not in a million years.

The room disappeared around him as he apparated, with only number crossing his mind. It only took them a second, but the span of time where Draco felt as though he were being pushed through a tube seemed to last forever. He felt as though he were frozen in time, the fear of being too late crashing into his heart.

Then, as quickly as it had started, the sensation was gone. They were standing in a dimly lit white room, which held nothing but a simple bed pushed up against a wall. The hairs on the back of Draco's neck stood up as he advanced toward the sleeping figure. The small lump didn't seem to be moving, and Draco's mind automatically jumped to conclusions. He could feel his heart break as he walked forward. His only thought was that he was too late, his son was dead.

"Daddy?" a little voice said, the lump beginning to move. It only took Draco a second to close the space left between himself and the bed. Tears sprang to his eyes as he pulled Eltanin into his arms. A relieved sigh escaped his lips as he held his son close, vowing never to let him go again. Looking up, he saw Hermione and Ginny examining the room, most likely checking for exits.

Eltanin began to cry, curling up into Draco's shoulder, "I was so scared."

Draco ignored the two women to focus on his son, "It's alright. Everything is going to be okay. I'm here Elt, don't worry." He began rocking the sobbing boy back and forth, attempting to stop the small boy's tears. They didn't stop though, and Draco began to get worried. It took Hermione 30 seconds to secure the room before she walked quickly over to the bed. Eltanin, who had been searching for her, let out a sob and reached for her as she came closer. Draco knew he should feel jealous, but he didn't. The relief of having his son in his arms and breathing was stopping any bad thoughts from entering his mind. His fascination at how attached the boy seemed to be with her did amaze him though.

He watched her face as she sat down, reaching out to gently touch Elt's back with her fingers. "You're safe now darling, nothing to worry about. Your daddy and I are here now and we'll make sure no one hurts you again." The little boys cries began to lesson and Hermione held her arms out. "May I?" She asked Draco.

He looked at her outstretched arms and nodded, handing over his world to her. She smiled at him and cradled the boy in her arms, making small hushing noises. Eltanin's cries had reduced to sniffles for which Draco was relieved. He watched as his son wrapped his arms around Hermione's neck and rested his head on her shoulder. She smiled down at him with a motherly smile. Draco's breath caught in his throat for a moment, now seeing that Eltanin wasn't the only part of his world anymore. A part of him regretted ever being involved with Daphne, wishing that he had instead pursued this woman in front of him.

Those thoughts were interrupted when Hermione pulled Elt away from her shoulder and began looking him over. "Are you hurt? Do you need a healer?"

Eltanin paused and looked at Draco, fear in his eyes. "I'm not supposed to talk about that."

As soon as those words left his son's mouth, anger enveloped Draco's mind. He assisted Hermione in checking over his son. With each bruise they found, Draco's mind clouded over just a bit more. The final blow came whenever Draco got a good look at Eltanin's face. Along his right jaw and surrounding his eye was a large purple bruise. Along the bruise were various scraps where Draco could only assume rings cut up Elt's face. "How dare he," Draco said in a low and dangerous voice.

Hermione took a hand and rested in on Draco's, "He will get what's coming to him, I promise. We just have to be patient." She then proceeded in poking Eltanin in the side and stomach, trying to find any internal bleeding or broken ribs. Broken ribs she did find. With one push, Eltanin gasped in pain and began crying again. Hermione's face broke, holding Elt to her chest, "I'm so sorry Eltanin. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Eltanin nodded, still sobbing, "You…didn't….mean…to" he said, sniffling between each word. Hermione looked over to Draco with an apologetic look. He shook his head, "You didn't do anything wrong," Draco answered, rubbing her back to sooth her. She didn't look soothed at all. So, instead of focusing on her, he took Eltain back and stood up. "We are leaving now. Are you ready?"

Eltanin nodded, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands, "He took my locket. I was afraid you wouldn't hear me because Uncle Blaise took it and destroyed it with his wand."

Hermione nodded and rubbed the little boys back, "We heard you and came to rescue you. Have you seen Harry or Jeanette?"

Eltanin shook his head, "Uncle Blaise said that Miss Jean had to go home."

Draco looked up to find Ginny, but was surprised to find she was missing. "Where is Ginny?"

Hermione walked over to the closed door and sighed, "She went to find Harry, I'm sure." Draco sighed looking down at his son. He knew he should get Eltanin back home before Blaise found them, but he just couldn't. He couldn't leave Hermione and Ginny to fend for themselves. "Listen," Draco said, reaching out and touching Hermione's shoulder.

She beat him to the point though, "Take him to the Weasley's. Tell them you will explain later. They know about Eltanin and will be happy to keep him safe. Then come back here and help me."

Draco nodded, "Don't leave without me."

Hermione shook her head, "I have to find Ginny. What if Zambini finds her before she finds Harry?"

Draco shook his head, his heart constricting, "No, you wait for me. When I get back we'll go to find her together."

He prayed she wouldn't argue, and was surprised when his prayer came true. She nodded and sat down on the bed, "I'll wait."

Draco nodded, wrapping his arms around Eltanin and turning in place. He held his breath, expecting to be pushed through a tube, but nothing happened. He looked around and met Hermione's eyes. She was just as surprised as he was. "Draco, what are you doing?"

He shook his head, looking down at his son, "I can't apparate."

Hermione stood and rubbed Eltanin's back, "Then you need to stay here and protect him. I'll go and find Ginny. As soon as it's safe, I'll come back and we'll leave together."

Draco reached out and took her hand, keeping Eltanin on his hip with the other, "No, we go together."

Eltanin nodded his agreement, "We're family and family always sticks together."

Draco looked down at his son and smiled, hearing his own father's words leaving his lips. Hermione, a tear escaping her eye, took Eltanin and wrapped him in a hug. Draco heard her whisper, "I love you Eltanin," before offering him back. Draco shook his head though, preferring to protect both of them.

As he walked forward, he could hear Hermione's breaths coming sharper. Draco looked over his shoulder and smiled, "We'll be alright. As long as we're together nothing can get us."

* * *

"Ow, Harry that was my head."

"Sorry mate, I didn't mean to kick you." Jeanette laughed as she waited for the other two to exit the vent. It was quite hilarious to watch as they scrambled head first into the bedroom. They had only gone over a few rooms before the heat was getting too hard to bear. Sweat still trickled down her back even though the room was unnaturally cold. Forgoing watching the Boy-Who-Lived topple out of the wall, she examined the room they were in. There were clothes discarded here and there and the makeup on the vanity was still open. She looked deeper into the room and noticed there were chairs and end tables toppled over. As far as she could see, a struggle had ensued.

"Harry," she whispered, backing up to peek out the door. She could hear Ron groan as she fell to the floor with a thump. Harry was already by her side peeking through the crack above her. Jean let out a sigh of relief, the hallway was empty. "We're saf-" she started, but was forced backward by a wand at her chest.

She looked up at the owner of the wand and laughed, "Ginny!" She wrapped her arms around the girl, surprised when she was pushed to the floor, "What's my favorite musical?"

Jean coughed and stood up, "Bloody Hell, the Wizard of Oz."

Harry laughed, eyeing Jean with amusement, "Bloody Hell? Where did that come from? You're from the States."

Before Jean could answer him, Ginny squealed and pulled Harry into a big hug, "I'm so glad you are okay. Hermione should be looking for me. Draco took Eltanin back to his apartment for safekeeping. Now that I found you we can go home."

"Gee, I see that your husband is more important than your own brother," Ron's voice was hurt as he walked forward, brushing off his robes. Jean shook her head and closed the door, still relieved that the Pansy girl hadn't discovered them yet.

When she turned to address the party, she heard someone gasp and watched as Ginny slumped against her husband. "Ginny?" he questioned, concern creasing his forehead.

"Albus," she whispered, "Teddy." The concern on Harry's face quickly changed to panic as he looked to Jean and Ron for help, "What's happened?"

Tears streamed down Ginny's face as she pressed her face into Harry's chest, "I left them at the ministry with Ron, only it wasn't Ron. They've got our sons Harry."

Jeanette gasped just as the door opened behind her. Out of instinct her fist came up and she threw a right hook at the intruder. Once her fist connected she heard a gasp and someone cry out "Daddy!" As she looked up, the surprise on Draco's face was almost comical. Someone, who sounded oddly like Ron, laughed behind her. She chose to ignore them.

Instead, she reached out, "Draco, I'm so sorry. That freak Pansy Parkinson took my wand, so I didn't know what else to do."

Hermione grinned and walked past him, patting Jean on the shoulder, "I see Harry has taught you well."

Draco, nursing his jaw, looked at, "Pansy is here?"

"Yes, Drakie my dear, I am."

* * *

Hermione had the strange sensation of snarling in her chest as she watched Parkinson lead them. Three new wands were currently resting in her palms as they wound their way through various corridors and hallways. Hermione's hand twitched, aching to wrap itself around the pug-faced woman's throat. Of course, the only thing keeping Ginny from tearing Pansy from limb to limb was that she was currently using Teddy and Albus as ransom.

An eerie feeling fell over the group as they ventured farther towards the center of the house; the windows that were previously allowing sunlight to pass found themselves covered in what looked like black fabric. Though Hermione was curious, she didn't reach out to feel the strange substance covering the glass. Eltanin whimpered and buried his head in Hermione's neck. "I want to go home," he whispered. She looked over at him and watched as his eyes shut, a few tears still lingering on his cheeks.

Draco's hand was resting on her lower back. His other hand was gently stroking Eltanin's hair. He looked down at Hermione, worry creasing his forehead. She tried to give him a reassuring smile, but it didn't come out right. Abandoning Elt's hair, he touched her cheek, smiling at her effort.

"Hurry inside, and don't try anything funny. I've got all your wands."

Two-by two they all passed into what Hermione could only guess what a ballroom. She silently thanked Merlin that Eltanin had drifted to sleep. She could feel Draco standing close to her as she passed through the door with the small child. Even as they were standing in front of Blaise, his eyes traveling back and forth over the group, Hermione could feel the heat that emanated from his body. Her arms closed tighter around Elt as she stared straight into the eyes of Zambini. He was smirking, one she was more accustomed to seeing Draco wearing. An involuntary shiver ran through her, which Draco must have caught because he wrapped his arms are her.

"You two are adorable, you know that. A nice little family, something," Blaise motioned towards the corner, "I'm sure Mr. Potter would like back." Sitting on two different chairs, much like Hermione remembered, sat Teddy and Albus. Their heads were flopped to the side, seemingly unconscious. Hermione's breath hitched as she saw them, tears stinging the back of her eyes.

On look at Harry, though, told Hermione that she needed to be strong. There was no way Harry would have a level head in a situation like this, which left her to pick up the slack. Allowing her Auror senses to kick in, she turned and handed Eltanin to Draco, who took him only a second before Hermione dropped him. Harry, whose eyes had glazed over at the sight of his son and godson, rushed forward towards the wizard.

"Harry no," Hermione yelled, rushing forward and putting herself in front of Harry. A light flashed while pain shot up her back. A cry of pain escaped her lips as six voices rang out, "No!"

Her lower body gradually fell numb as Harry supported her. "Hermione, why would you do that?" He looked down at her in surprise.

Hermione tried to grit her teeth against the pain that was beginning to inch its way to her upper body, "I wasn't about to let you walk into that."

"Enough," a high pitched voice exclaimed, one Hermione immediately recognized as Daphne. "Blaise, perform the counter-jinx. All I want is my son."

Blaise and Pansy both laughed cruel laughs, "Why would I do that? She's slowly dying, which only adds to my leverage. Potter wants his precious son and pup, while Draco won't just stand aside and watch his new pet die. It's bloody brilliant."

Draco, who was now kneeling next to Harry, reached out with his free hand and grasped Hermione's. This small action sent a line of pain to her shoulder, but she bit back her gasp. There was no reason for them to know she was in any more pain than they already assumed. "You bastard, you put her right or I will personally break your neck."

"Now Draco, there's no reason to get nasty. We are best friends, you know. Just give me Eltanin and I'll let everyone else go free," Blaise sneered and stood from his makeshift throne. As the numbness spread into her limbs, Hermione found it easier to take in their current surroundings. It was a grand ballroom, with large bay windows that were currently letting in the moonlight.

_ That can't be right_, she thought, remembering the sunlight that was pouring through the windows upstairs. It wasn't anywhere near that dark outside. This was the world Blaise wanted to live in, a world where darkness ruled. Flashes of Voldemort crossed before her eyes, the fear that she had felt whenever Harry had fallen crushed on her heart. If she did die, it would be for the right reasons. She died protecting her best friend and the two men who had stolen her heart. It was a comforting thought.

"I want to go with Mommy," a small voice announced, fighting against Draco's hold. Draco looked down, surprised. Tears were dotting Eltanin's cheeks once more as he pulled on his father's fingers. Confusion was evident in Draco's eyes as he watched his son choose his mother of his father. Eltanin was finally able to free himself from Draco's grasp, and he leaned down to the now paralyzed Hermione. Harry was currently holding her up. If she had been able to move, she would have protested, but she couldn't.

Draco could though, "There's no way in hell I'm letting you go to her." He picked the boy up once again and stood up straight. Hermione's hand fell to the ground, limp. Eltanin's eyes were alarmed as he watched, "If I go to Mommy, then Teddy, Al, and Miss Hermione will be okay. I got to save them."

Hermione wanted to yell out, _No you don't Eltanin. We have to save you. _But she couldn't.

Draco looked at his son with pleading eyes, "Stop trying to be an adult. I'm going to fi-"

Draco was cut off by a loud, "Totus imperium." Blaise had his wand out and was pointing it at the group. Hermione felt her eyes glaze over at the spell, but couldn't do anything if she had been able to fight it.

"Drop her Potter," the wizard said. Hermione internally winced as she hit the floor, her body immobile. The sneer had turned back into a smug smirk as he watched the group, "Now Draco, you will do as I wish. Let Eltanin down and allow him to come to his mother. I will release you all as soon as I have him in my possession once again."

The fog that had enveloped Hermione's mind began to disperse, instead panic took its place. Her eye widened as she watched Draco drop his son and step away. Horror raced through her as Eltanin began walking to his mother. Her mind was racing, trying to fight the spell that had caused her limbs to go numb, but was unable to find the right muscles to get her arms moving. Instead, she felt the pain begin to descend into her chest. Her heart began to pound and the pain was overwhelming. She could feel her heart speed up at the exertion and began to feel the slip of consciousness. _This is it,_ she thought, _this is how I'm going to die._

"Atrum recro," Blaise muttered, pointing the wand at Hermione's chest. Eltanin, satisfied, started walking towards his mother. Hermione began to feel relief and the pain receded and her fingers began to tingle. The feeling was coming back to her arms, reversing the effects of the spell. Hermione looked over to Draco, but he was only staring straight ahead, as was the rest of the group. They all seemed too transfixed with Zambini to notice anything going on.

Eltanin didn't even look back as he reached his mother, but Blaise was faster. He whipped his wand around and pointed it straight at Elt. "Avada Kedavra," he yelled, green light erupting from his wand.

Time seemed to stop as Hermione jumped to her feet. Before she could do anything, he legs had collapsed and all she could do was watch. Daphne, who seemed fully aware of what Blaise was going to do, gasped and grabbed her son, wrapping him in her arms and shielding him from the spell.

The curse hit her square in the back as she fell forward, her eyes staring forward in surprise. The entire room seemed to come out of a daze, but all they could do was stare. Eltanin was leaning next to his mother, sobs slipping through his lips and his entire body shaking. Hermione felt her heart lurch at the sight, flashbacks of Albus sitting above his mother passing before her eyes. No child deserved this torture, no child should have to watch their parents die.

This was the only thought that pushed her forward. Blaise still had his wand raised, but now his face was twisted in rage. "Avada-" he started, but just as Hermione had rushed at Eltanin, Draco had rushed Blaise. Hermione didn't watch as they toppled backwards into the throne that Blaise had created, nor did she see Draco rip the wand from Blaise's hand. All she could think about was getting Eltanin out of this room.

She scooped him up into her arms and turned around, watching as the scene unraveled before her eyes. Harry and Ginny were rushing at their children while Ron and Jeanette subdued Pansy. The entire room was in utter chaos, and Hermione knew she had to fix this.

Blaise's eyes were staring at the wand trained on his chest and his hands were up in defeat. "You've won," he repeated over and over again, his breath coming out in sharp bursts. Hermione didn't stare at him long though, instead she was watching as Draco tried to breathe. His chest was heaving and his fingers were gripping the wand so hard that his knuckles were white. Before he did something he would regret, Hermione slowly walked forward and rested a hand on his shoulder.

He flinched when her skin came into contact with his, but he quickly recovered. At the sight of his son, safe in Hermione's arms, his face softened. "I almost lost him," he said, his voice cracking at the end.

Hermione nodded and put her hand over his, gently pulling the wand from his grasp, "He's not worth it Draco. We've got him and he'll be guilty, but not this way. I don't want you to be a murderer too."

Draco looked back at Blaise and flexed his jaw, "He tried to kill my son."

Eltanin reached out and patted his father on the cheek, "Dad, he's a very bad man, but you're not. You are the best man I know."

Hermione smiled and nodded, "Eltanin's right. Dumbledore was right, you are not a murderer. You can walk away right now, no blood on your hands. Take your son and go home, Harry, Ron, and I will take care of it."

Blaise tried to sit up, going for Draco's knees, but Hermione was quicker, "Stupefy."

The now limp man lay at their feet. Hermione watched as Draco watched him, "I could do it. He almost killed you also."

"And we'll make sure he pays, but not this way," Harry had Teddy in his arms and he was kissing his forehead. The two boys were now conscious, but both Harry and Ginny were careful to keep them from seeing Daphne. Pansy's screams could be heard as Jean led her out of the ballroom, her wand at her back.

Draco looked back at his once enemy and smiled, "I guess the Golden Trio always has to fix everything."

Harry nodded and put Teddy down. The boy tried to look back at Daphne, but Ginny was quicker, "Let's go." She nodded to Hermione and Draco and led the boys out of the room. Tears pricked Hermione's eyes once again as she watched, "I thought it would be over."

A tear escaped and Elt wiped it away, smiling at her, "It is. You and Daddy saved me. I wish we could have saved Mommy though. I don't have to call him Uncle Blaise anymore, do I?"

Draco shook his head and took his son, "Never again. Let's go." Eltanin nodded and sniffed, refusing to look in the direction of his mother. Hermione knew that right now, the boy was in shock. Soon it would all come back to him, and it will be then that Hermione will be there for him. She sure as hell knew she was going to be there for Draco.

"Go," she whispered, allowing a quick kiss from Draco then she turned away. She was sure to keep it together until the duo was outside of the room before she allowed herself to cry like she truly needed too.

Just like they always had been, Ron and Harry were there to hold her up, just like she would be there for Draco.

* * *

So, final chapter. Did you guys like it? I hope I made it Epic enough. I've been so busy lately, on top of the fact that I couldn't seem to get the final scene right. All of my previous ideas just didn't work right. I'm starting to have empty nest syndrome. It's hard to believe it's over. Well, almost anyway. Just got to read the epilogue.

I think I'm going to revise this story while working on my next ones ( yep plural.) I've got two stories that I want to post up here. One is going to be a sequel to this one, and another one is going to be completely unrelated to this one. I've got a feeling that one is going to mostly be fluff.

Always Remember to Love,

Until We Meet Again,

Ms. Darcy


	11. Epilogue

Epilogue  
_One year later_

The Christmas tree sparkled at Number 12 Grimmauld Place as Hermione and Draco walked in with their arms around each other. Having just come from the Granger's graves, they were currently covered in snow. Hermione was smiling up at Draco, who had Eltanin in his arms. As they came around the corner into the sitting room, the entire room erupted in "Hello" and "Happy Christmas". Eltanin, now five years old, jumped down and ran over to where Teddy and Albus were currently playing with various colored boxes on the floor. Ginny struggled to stand from the loveseat that she and Harry currently occupied. Once she was standing, she waddled over to Hermione and wrapped her in a hug, getting as close as her bulging belly would allow.

Then, she reached over and hugged Draco while Harry grabbed Hermione. Draco chuckled and patted her stomach, "When's little James going to come out?"

Ginny just laughed and sat back down, allowing Harry to shake Draco's hand before sitting with his wife again. The rest of the Weasley clan hugged each one in turn and wished them a Happy Christmas. It didn't take long for them all to settle down and begin to open presents.

Teddy and Eltanin were dubbed Santa Claus and passed out all of the gifts. The adults' piles weren't that big, at least not compared to each of the children's piles. Draco, still a little uncomfortable with all of the red-headed people, made sure to buy something simple for everyone.

Teddy and Eltanin had identical packages, so they proudly proclaimed they would open them at the same time. The humor in the situation was that Eltanin's present was from Harry and Teddy's present was from Draco. Both children tore into their presents while their parents grinned at each other. Of course, Draco and Harry would think alike.

Think alike they did.

Once the packages were open, both boys were holding up Dragonwing Juniors. "Thank you Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny!" Eltanin exclaimed, rushing over and giving the Potters a large hug. Hermione laughed as Teddy threw himself at she and Draco, a huge smile on his face. "I always wanted one of these. Dad can finally teach me how to ride."

Hermione hugged him back with just as much force. "You should only use it with your Dad around," she scolded, smiling to soften the lecture. Teddy was completely unaware of her warning, "This is going to be so much fun."

So, instead of pressing the matter, she merely rolled her eyes and leaned into the man she loved. "I can't believe you talked me into allowing you to buy that."

Draco laughed and kissed her on the head, "Don't worry so much, you'll get witchy wrinkles."

The entire room was full of laughter and playing as they finished unwrapping their mounds of presents. It didn't take long for the entire room to migrate towards the kitchen where Mrs. Weasley and Ginny had cooked up a large Christmas feast. The table was overrun with food while the adult sat together and enjoyed more adult like conversations, while the children were all left to talk about Eltanin and Teddy's new brooms.

Hermione smiled as she looked around the table, filled with the people she loved. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley sat at either end, smiling at each other. They both still felt the pain and loss of the war, but they were finally beginning to move on. Harry and Ginny sat on Mrs. Weasley's right, Ginny's belly poking out over the table and she talked animatedly with her mom and Harry rubbed her stomach. Ron sat across from them, his hand currently sitting in Jeanette's, which Hermione decided was a good thing. Jeanette was so strong willed and thick headed that she would definitely keep him on his feet. Next to Ron was his older brother George, who was slowly but surely getting back his free-spirit. He claimed that Fred never would have wanted him to lose all humor in life.

Bill and Fleur sat next to him, a rare steak currently sitting on his plate. Just as predicted, his hunger for all things undercooked is strong, but he has yet to change once. Charlie sat on Mr. Weasley's other side, his face and hands sporting new burns that he received from a new breed of dragons that he and his troupe had just recently discovered.

This left Hermione and Draco. Draco and Harry had formed a sort of camaraderie after taking down Blaise. They've come to an understanding that neither ever meant any harm, however untrue that may be. This left only Hermione, who was currently quiet and just staring at her family. Sure, there were holes in a lot of places, and her heart had yet to heal completely, but they were all moving on. The pain of those lost was now only an occasion hurt, which was fixed by the love that this new family now shared.

"Miss Hermione, I forgot one of my presents," Eltanin was standing beside her with his hands behind his back and a big smile on his face.

Hermione smiled down at him and turned away from the table, her hands sitting of her knees, "Oh yeah. What present would that be?"

Eltanin looked over her shoulder at his father, who was currently nodding. Hermione turned and gave him a strange look, not sure what exactly those two were up too. Without warning Elt had taken her hand and pulled her from her chair so that she was standing with her back to the table. She heard a few chair squeal as their occupants turned to look at the gift she hadn't received.

Eltanin's face was beginning to take on a red hue as he pulled a small box from behind his back. "I will always remember my Mommy, and I know that she saved me, but you saved me too." He took a deep breath and Hermione thought that she knew where this was going. "You are always there when I cry and you tell really good bedtime stories. Whenever I'm in trouble you always make sure Dad doesn't yell too much. You make me feel safe and warm and you give great hugs. I don't ever want anyone else to take your place. So what I'm asking is, will you be my Mommy Miss Hermione."

Hermione, tears stinging her eyes, watched as the boy lifted the lid to the box to show her a simple silver band that had the words Mommy written across the top. When he pulled it out the tears really did fall. Elt looked up at her alarmed, "If you don't want too that's okay."

Hermione laughed and wiped her cheeks, "No honey, I'm just so happy. Yes I will be your Mommy." Eltanin cheered and everyone clapped as he handed the ring to her. She took it and went to put it on her left hand.

"No," Eltanin stopped her with his hand. "It goes on this hand," he smiled when he took it and put in on her right hand. Hermione, confused, smiled, "Why can't I put it on my left hand."

She heard Ginny squeal and turned, gasping when she saw Draco on one knee before her. He was grinning from ear to ear. A ring box, similar to the one Eltanin had just given her, sat in his hand. She continued to cry as he open stared up at her, "You can't put that one on your left hand because this one goes there."

Draco slowly opened the top and revealed the most beautiful ring Hermione had ever seen. It was a simple solitaire, not very big, and simple, just like Hermione loved everything. With a laugh, Draco stood and took her face with the hand that wasn't holding the box, "I used to hate everything you stood for, everything you were. I never really got the chance to truly know you, and for that I am sorry. If I had, I may never have turned to the dark side as I once had. What's done is done, and now I have learned my lesson. A little of a year ago I met you again and found myself thinking that you were pretty. Then, I saw you with my son and I began to really like you. I was standing on the edge of a cliff waiting to jump off. After I saw the way you cared for so many people, and the way you protected my son and I, I fell headfirst off that cliff. Hermione Granger, I am head-over-heels in love with you and I would be honored if you would be my wife."

Throughout his entire speech, Hermione had held her breath, finding herself transfixed by his grey eyes. As he spoke of memories, each one passed before her eyes. Her smile grew wider and wider, until it finally reached its breaking point once he finally asked the question. This was it, the moment that every girl fantasizes over.

Reality was so much better.

"Yes Draco, I'll marry you." Tears fell from her eyes as he slipped the ring on her finger and everyone in the kitchen began cheering for the couple. For all the noise that was going on, Hermione didn't hear a thing.

All she could see was her future as Draco kissed her, showing her every emotion he felt in that one embrace. She could feel his pulse as it raced through his body, the relief as he relaxed into her, and the hope that this time, he had made the right choice.

* * *

And now for the happy ending. I was grinning like a mad fool as I wrote this. Well, I hope you all enjoyed Forever, I Fear. Check back soon for my new stories that I will be posting and as I've said many times before.

Always Remember to Love,

Until We Meet Again,

Ms. Darcy


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